The Great Misadventure
by Kiari Ferrari
Summary: No screams escaped my mouth and my chest ceased movement as I waited for the pain, the final moment of my life. Then I felt a rush of wind and a powerful surge of energy very close to me, and then something clanged loudly just inches from my head. Sasuke?
1. Chapter 1

**A new story? Why yes. Let me know how it suits you. I have big plans for this one, I promise. Remember: I love working under pressure, so the more, the better!**

**Chapter 1: Cruel Sorrow**

Today has been by far, the worst most awful day in young Sakura Haruno's short life. Not yesterday when she failed the math test, not six months prior when Aunt Miaka passed away, and not three years ago when her best friend in the whole world moved to another country and left her to journey through highschool alone. Well, for the most part. For over a year, Sakura had the pleasure of being the girlfriend of one of the most popular boys in school and during those eight months, she was the happiest she'd ever been. Now the relationship, the love, the respect, and the happiness have become past tense.

Now there she was, standing on a crowded street corner frozen in shock, encompassed by the city people moving about in their own rituals who failed in inquiring to see if the odd pink-headed girl, who's tears flowed freely down her pale face, was okay. So they had every right to pass along, to ignore, or pretend to ignore the obviously shaken teen, because of what business was it of theirs to become entangled in the complications of a high-school girl?

Of this, Sakura did not mind nor pretend to feel hurt at their silence and in fact prayed no one approached her small corner of sorrow. And then the light blinked, signaling the 'okay' to safely cross the street, but out of all the shuffling feet, only her's remained stationary. There seemed to be no point in walking, no point in a destination, no point in continuing to move through the people with some false sense of purpose. No point at all.

Then someone hit her shoulder abruptly causing the teen to plummet to the hot asphalt below. Wide green eyes searched through the crowds in having been temporarily knocked out of the trance but the stranger had already blended back in with the others. So in one quick motion she picked herself from the ground, begrudgingly noting a new pain in her wrist, and settled into a measly pace in the direction of home.

_'Great... it's probably sprained... just what I need...'_

Already the day felt like a week with all the chaos that ensued just a few hours previous at the local highschool.

_'Well, it all had to do with _him_. It's curious how someone, whom you've given your entire heart and being to, can go from the most precious person in the morning, to becoming an 'I-don't-want-to-talk-about-it' subject by that mid-afternoon. Clearly someone forgot to mention that love hurts.'_

And oh, did it ache something terrible.

Sakura clutched her chest and focused on keeping the rest of the tears at bay and continued counting the lines in the sidewalk, which helped in diverting her thoughts from harmful places.

It took a good twenty minutes before her home stood at the edge of her feet just waiting to welcome the girl, offering an all too familiar safe haven. Sakura opened with door with a slight struggle, feeling abnormally weak from the exhausting day, and proceeded to her room at a quick pace in hopes of avoiding the daily _'how was school?'_ conversation with her mother. When luck won and she was finally safe behind the walls of her own room, a high-pitched sound invaded the air and the girl shoved her hand in her pocket to fish out a small red cell phone.

Upon reading the screen, a strong wave of nausea rolled over her so suddenly that it caused her to sink to the floor. It was nothing but a simple one line text message asking if she could 'meet up' with the boy who broke her heart and spirit only a few hours ago.

"No..." She whispered shaking her head back and forth slowly. "I won't..."

The whole thing was a set-up. From the very beginning he pretended to take an interest, and at first Sakura had thought it odd, but amidst the butterflies and the light-headedness she got whenever he came around, the doubts were forgotten. But she should've known.

It was no wonder the popular girls kept their distance from her, because they were all watching from afar, reveling in Sakura's unapparent* humiliation. Bets went around the students, putting forth chunks of cash to see how long the one-sided charade would last, a few even betting it lasting less than 24 hours, which inexplainably disappointed the girl for a short time.

_'Eight months... I wasted over half a year... for what!'_ Sakura thought frustrated. _'Do they have any idea what they did to me?'_

She gripped the phone, glaring at it, hoping somehow through it, _he_ could feel her anger. Then, in an impulse move to be regretted later, Sakura stood up and chucked the little red device out of the open window onto the street below. The sound of plastic breaking sent a small amount of satisfaction to her, but it wasn't going to be enough to forget what happened, yet it helped.

"Sakura, honey, are you in there?" An older woman's voice sounded on the other side of the door followed by a few lights knocks. Sakura spun around and dove for her backpack, in an attempt to sound like she was busy doing homework. Yes, just another day in highschool with tons of work... she hoped her mom wouldn't notice any changes.

"Yeah, I just got back. Tons of homework tonight. Call me for dinner later." Came her quick answer.

"Well, alright... please try to get as much of it done as possible. Your father and I need to talk to you soon."

Sakura scrunched her eyebrows together and looked towards her door in confusion. Did her strong independent mother just speak with a nervous tone? That definitely wasn't normal, and now her stomach churned with new worries.

"O-okay. I'll try." She answered unsuredly. Upon reviewing the homework list, Sakura realized she had every right to be nervous, because everything seemed to be due tomorrow, it being a friday and all. Like she now possessed the capacity to focus on those things when life has now decided it was her turn to hold the crap card. It wasn't fair.

A lite breeze pushed against red curtains hanging from the window, and Sakura, who found her legs cramping, stood up and leaned forward on the small windowsill. Jade eyes turned upward into a painted sky full of blues, oranges, reds, and pinks in the lovely display of dusk. To the southeast, a shiny sliver of moon posed itself low in the skyline trying to enjoy it's last rays of sunshine until its cycle began anew again. Sakura couldn't help but stare in envy, wishing desperately that somehow someway she could just turn into a new moon and start over. She deserved a second chance, something wonderful to make up for lost time.

Well, Sakura must've been daydreaming a bit too long, because her mother was back at her door telling her it was time for dinner.

At the table, Sakura was greeted by her father, an athletically buff man with sharp features adorned with bright green eyes that mirrored his daughter's. His posture shouted business but his demeanor was kind and determined. Sakura absolutely adored her father, looked up to him, respected him the way one should, and loved it when he spoiled her.

After the usual greetings, Sakura sat down opposite of her parents, noting a strange tension in the air between them. Her mother's usually neat red hair seemed frazzled and her small face seemed worn and weary. Something was not right.

"Go ahead and eat, honey." Her mom urged. Sakura looked down at her plate, also noting it was her favorite dish, but couldn't bring herself to lift the food into her mouth, possibly in fear of it being rejected. Her insides were all twisted and a million different explanations raced through her head.

_'Maybe they found out about what happened at school today? No, if that were the case i'd be getting lectured right now... Then what? I doubt they're out of their bindings over one failed math test. Maybe someone else died? Did dad lose his job?'_

"Sakura?"

A pink head shot up. "Y-yes?"

Her mother pointed towards her plate. "You haven't touched your food at all. Are you not feeling well?"

"Well I... didn't you say you had something to talk to me about?" Sakura watched the tense silent exchange between her parents and it wasn't helping her stomach. Her mother stood up and sat in the chair next to Sakura, reaching out to grasp her hand.

"Yes we did. Honey... I, you're father and I, we..." Her mother was actually stumbling over her words? This is now very serious. Her own mother was practically becoming unglued in front of her eyes! She looked beyond the petit red-haired woman to her father who was slouched in his seat with one arm cradling his forehead as if he just had the worst day at work.

_'Oh please just tell me he got fired and we have to move far away because we can't afford to stay here anymore!'_

"Sakura, you're father and I, after discussing it for a long time now, we... I well, honey, we're... we just thought it'd be best if we took a break."

Sakura looked at them both as if they'd gone crazy. "A break? What do you mean, like you guys need a vacation or something?"

Her mother ran a hand over her face looking flustered. "Well, yes in a way we do..."

"Sakura, what you're mother is trying to tell you is that we no longer wish to be married." Her father interjected in a soft but stern voice.

And then it seemed time stopped for Sakura. Her eyes widened, she let loose the eating utensil, breathing ceased, and sound disappeared.

_'No longer wished to be married?'_

"Y-you mean... you two..." Her voice was down to a whisper.

"Sakura, we're getting divorced." Her mother proclaimed shakily while squeezing her shocked daughter's hand. Bad news usually happened in three waves. First the shock, then the anger rolls in, followed closely by denial. Mother and father both knew that the second wave was about to hit, and crash hard.

_'Divorced...? Do they really mean it? No... after all this time I thought we we all loved each other. I never saw anything that would make me doubt their relationship, nothing at all, and now... how could they do this?'_

Not only was this bad news ripping an entirely new hole in her already damaged heart, it was just setting off the last explosive that would completely take out the bridge.

She abuptly stood in anger. "You can't get divorced!"

Was this really happening?

"How can you do this we're a team! We're all we have and you can't just take that away!"

They could only stare with forlorn eyes.

"Why? Why now! I need you both now more than ever! I've taken pride in being a whole family as i'm watching my friends and their friends go through their parent's splits and though I felt sorry for them I was secretly very glad and thankful that mine loved each other enough. Why isn't it enough anymore?"

She slammed her hands onto the wooden table and leaned in.

"You can't do this... you have to fix it." She plead.

"Sakura," Mr. Haruno spoke up. "We can't. We've tried for years. Now you need to understand that this is not going to change anything with how we feel about you. We love you very much-"

"How can you say that!" Sakura cut him off. "Love doesn't tear families apart, it binds them! Makes them one! You have to try harder!"

The situation was becoming desperate now. Because with every passing moment, the news sunk in just a little more, and the look of defeat in both of their eyes only shoved reality more in her face.

"We've tried, honey... trust us. It's not like-" Mrs. Haruno stopped mid-sentence when she witness Sakura putting a hand over her mouth and running towards the bathroom.

Sakura's stomach couldn't take it anymore and began emptying itself in her bathroom of what little contents she consumed for that day. It hurt, it burned, and everything ached.

The door was locked, so her parents knocked in an attempt to console the broken child. They stood there for five minutes with no reply, and then another five passed, and then another, until almost a half hour went by. By then, the two flustered people removed themselves from the doorway and went out in search of solitude to process the recent events.

Sakura lay on the soft bathroom carpet, after throwing up everything she had. Too exhausted to move, too shocked to feel any more pain, and too tired of everyone close to her breaking her heart, the petit teen began to weep and weep she did until exhaustion took over and she succumbed to sweet dreams of someday being in a pain-free world.

Surely, nothing could top this day; the absolute worst most depressing day of Sakura Haruno's life.

**Next: Something goes very wrong on an innocent school field trip to the mountains. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright I'm sorry for the delay I just wanted to make sure this one was long and it didn't help that I kept getting new ideas for it. I've been quite busy :) Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2: Unheeded Warning**

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

"Sakura? Honey, open the door please."

There was a throbbing sort of pounding going on through the pinkette's head as her eyes fluttered open to the annoying wake-up call. She put a hand to her head and raised herself up from the floor that she must've fallen asleep on.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

"Sakura? You're going to be late for school. C'mon honey."

_'Ugh... did I really sleep in the bathroom?'_

The light, which was still on, began to hurt her head even more until she realized it was a migraine.

She slowly stood up, using the counter as a crutch and looked in the mirror to see a tear-stained worn face, and remembered what happened last night.

Fresh tears threatened to spill from her tired eyes but were held back when her mother spoke through the door again.

"Sakura, are you awake?"

"Yes." She answered curtly. Her mother sighed in relief and leaned in closer.

"Sweetheart, you need to get ready for school. You're going to be late it's already 7:55."

_'School? She seriously expects me to go with all that has happened?'_

"I-I'm not feeling well, i'm not going."

"You have to go, remember the field trip is today and we've already paid for it." Her mother knew Sakura was in no shape to play student today, but she'd rather have her out of the house and around people than moping in her bedroom all day.

Sakura groaned and balled her hands into fists. She completely forgot about the stupid field trip! Her class was taking an all-day trip to the nearby Mount Abunai to do some studies on the ecosystem. Stupid stuff.

She splashed some cool water on her face and rubbed away the grime from yesterday, not caring to put on any sort of make up today. It didn't matter. There was no one to look pretty for now.

After leaving the bathroom she threw on a school issued uniform comprising of a pleated skirt and button up t-shirt with tie, complete with flats. Her reflection in the mirror stared back dimly, not caring if the shirt was a little wrinkled or that her hair was a little messy, because once again, nothing mattered now. Why should she care about looking good when everything in her life was turning bad?

She stooped to pick up her heavy backpack and slowly tromped downstairs to her mother who was standing by the door with a worried expression and a piece of paper in hand.

"Sakura... I know yesterday was a bad day for you-"

"Don't mom." Sakura interjected. "Just don't..."

The woman seemed taken aback but nodded in understanding and delicately handed the permission slip to her daughter, who took it without looking and continued walking out the door.

Sakura didn't need her sympathy or her words of understanding, because she knew nothing about her feelings and what she had to endure. _'I hate them. I hate all of them! And for making me pretend to go through today as if things were normal?'_

The same street corner where she previous fell from came into view but Sakura barely noticed as she fell into step with the crowd and crossed without incident. _'Sure... the one day I actually wish for a car to hit me...'_ She thought sarcastically.

Several minutes later the dreaded highschool came into view. Loads of students were gathered in random spots in their own groups and whatnot, which only made entering its doors that much more intimidating. And of course, most of them turned to point or laugh, or both at the small teen who only glared at the ground and made her way to first period class; Biology.

"Hey there's pinky! We all had a bet that you wouldn't show up today after what happened!"

Sakura looked up to see a red-haired girl with her uniform shirt a little too small, half sitting in her seat and pointing straight to her. The rest of the class erupted into giggles or hard laughter, which was her cue to crawl under a desk and die. However, the girl took a deep breath to steady herself and snaked her way to an empty seat in the back of the room, since she no longer sat next to the the most popular boy.

A moment later an old balding teacher made his way into the room, dressed in hiking attire and carrying a tattered backpack.

"Goodmorning ladies and gentlemen. We've got no time to lose so hand in your permission slips and let's start loading our stuff on to the buses."

Sakura inwardly groaned and fished for hers. As she handed hers forward someone nearby caught her eye causing her heart to stop. _His_ crystal blue eyes pierced into hers as if looking for a something, maybe a reaction?

_'Why is he staring at me?'_ But then she remembered the text message._ 'I bet he just wanted to further humiliate me.'_ She thought bitterly and quickly looked away, pretending to be interested in the periodic table on the opposite wall, but continued to feel the heat of his eyes on her for several more minutes.

"Alright." The teacher spoke up. "It seems all is in order. Now let's head out to the buses but line up single file because I have assigned which bus you will be riding in." He finished to groans and complaints but held his ground and led the large class to the parking lot where three large yellow buses waited.

After about twenty minutes of packing everything away and arranging the students into their proper places, which Sakura was pleased to discover her bus held next to none of the 'cool' students that were directly part of the scheme, they were finally underway for an hour of annoying chatter and lousy entertainment.

Despite the calming scenery of the lush countryside rolling softly past the numerous windows, Sakura only stared with disinterest. Inside, her emotions were anything but serene.

"Hey, hey Sakura." Said girl turned her head towards the voice. A male student pegged as one of the school nerds was holding up a pen close to her face and had another hand over his ear.

"We have come to believe that yesterday was quite a day for you. Possibly the worst day of your young life." The boy lowered the tone of his voice in a very obvious attempt as a newscaster. A few other students were watching his display and chuckled amongst themselves. Sakura glared at him.

"The rest of the world would like to know your thoughts on those previous events. Was it devastating? Did you see it coming? Do you still love Yukio Maro? Do you think you'll ever be able to get over this?" He began to laugh as did the others which only ticked off the heartbroken teen even more.

She twisted her body away from them while retorting, "Don't you have anything better to do?"

Okay, so it wasn't the comeback of the century but stooping to those guys' level wasn't an option. Besides, ignoring them can be the best comeback as long as one doesn't allow them to witness distress from their hurtful comments. Seriously though, did they not have anything better to do than continue to make her life as miserable as possible?

_'I hope this bus goes over a bridge and we all die and they never find our bodies.'_ Sakura slightly gasped at that thought. In one day a pleasant innocent line of thinking crossed to the dark side of morbid thoughts and despairing daydreams. It was honestly a little pathetic and was actually beginning to scare her.

What she truly needed was a friend, someone to sit and listen, to comfort and heal, to tell her that she didn't need those snobby two-faced spoiled rich kids, and how they were just jealous of her from the start. You know, normal things best friends would say to each other in comfort. Just one kind word or gesture could possibly turn this whole day around perhaps give her that little ounce of strength to continue living on through the day. Just one.

Well, it wasn't long before the buses squeaked to a heavy stop in a paved parking lot about one-third up the southern side of the mountain. A good thing it didn't take any longer as the snake-like road gave the teen car sickness, or in this case, bus sickness. Throwing up on an empty stomach didn't sound too pleasant to endure when surrounded by students who'd likely pull out their video phones than help her.

Sakura swallowed, prayed one more time, and then joined the others on the asphalt with her things in hand.

"Alright, boys and girls, welcome to Mount Abunai!" The students ceased their chattering and huddled closer to the old teacher to hear him better.

"This is one of the most beautiful and most mysterious mountain in the world. This national park receives about a million visitors per year and from its high crystal springs it is said to contain the purest water in the country and houses the rare Golden Blossom tree that blooms for just a few hours for one day annually. Also- I hope you are all writing this down, you will be quizzed at the end of the tour, and counts as ten percent of your grade." He eyed them all pointedly.

His words, however, fell on deaf ears near the back of the mass of students. Sakura looked down at her watch again to glare at how only two minutes have past since she last checked. She was just anxious to get this entire day over with so she could return home and plot to keep her parents together throughout the weekend.

"Now we're going to split into two groups. The first group will go with Ms. Hima to explore the various caves, and the second will be with me as we explore the Hidden Valley. We will hike to our designated spots and stop to eat lunch and then proceed on. Any questions?" He finished while looking around. No one raised their hand, mostly because hardly anyone was listening, which seemed to not faze the teacher.

After he read out the list of the two groups, Sakura began devising ways to commit suicide and how to make it look like an accident. Of course, it was all thought and no walk but this day couldn't get any worse seeing her group 'buddies' were none other than the posse from hell, and _him_. Several hours stuck with those dogs on the side of a densely forrested mountain with little to no protection? Disaster was just waiting to happen. So Sakura stayed towards the back of the line, tuning out the world and only focusing on taking the next step.

_'Maybe I won't notice that I fell behind, and maybe they won't notice me gone until they've already reached the valley. By then i'd surely be lost... but I'm not sure I can go through with it. No matter how much I want to just disappear, I start to feel guilty for harboring such selfish thoughts.'_

She gripped her small travel bag even tighter. _'But nothing will ever be the same...'_

She despaired like this for the better portion of the hike until it came to an end at the top of a large hill that overlooked a small diamond-shaped valley surrounded on three sides by high vertical cliffs scary enough for the most adventurous of men. The fourth side, which they were facing, stood open but hindered by a very large and dark forrest that stretched from one side of their hill to the tip of the valley. However, even its hundred foot trees could not shield the crystal clear blue lake placed so gently in the center of the valley, which was to be one of their studies.

There is a sign to also note to be included in this dazzling scenery. None of the students missed it and a sort of eerie silence befell them once its words sunk in for they knew the purpose of its existence. Sakura ignored it altogether.

'Do Not Enter. Forrest And Valley Closed To All Civilians.'

The teacher halted the students and declared their arrival, to which he received sighs of relief. They were then instructed to rest and eat for the next half hour until the second part of the hike continued.

For the first time in a long time, Sakura sat alone, eating- or lack of eating. Her stomach still churned from yesterday and gave out a few punches whenever she heard her name on the breath of a whisper or the heat of other students' eyes. Being the laughing stock of the entire high school was definitely not on the list of 'things to accomplish' and she didn't want to hold that title for long.

Suddenly, there was a presence next to her. She whipped her head around and gasped. "Y-yukio?"

The blonde haired senior lowered himself gracefully to the ground and slightly turned his head towards her, staring almost indifferently into her eyes. Sakura's breath caught in her chest and she waited anxiously for an explanation.

"Sakura," he said slowly. "I know yesterday must've been horrible for you. I acted like a complete jerk and did nothing while they," he gestured toward his group of friends who were all staring back in confusion, "taunted you and hurt you."

Sakura listened cautiously, weary of another humiliation plot, and then found her voice. "They didn't hurt me, Yukio, you did."

Yukio's eyes saddened and he ran a hand through his golden hair. "The truth is, I was afraid you wouldn't listen to me once I told you what was going on, and I was going to tell you yesterday, but they beat me to it. They found out how I truly felt about you."

"What... do you mean?" She nervously asked. Something just didn't feel right about this whole thing.

The boy sighed. "I mean that I have real feelings for you. I may actually love you."

Sakura gasped, putting a hand over her mouth and stared at him as if he were crazy. _'Did... did he just say... love?'_

It was too good to be true, it just had to be. No one in their right mind would go through all this trouble to make a fool out of a person they truly loved and then turn around to deny it publicly without an ounce of remorse. What does he expect of her now?

Subconsciously, she looked towards the red-haired girl with the small uniform who turned out to be Yukio's girlfriend all along, and wondered if what Yukio said was true, would he leave her and basically renounce his popularity and all that entails?

"What about Rina?"

Boy, at this moment did she look pretty infuriated.

Yukio stole a glance in her direction and replied, "She doesn't have to know. It'll be easier if we keep how we feel for each other a secret."

"A secret?" Basically he wants to keep his relationship with his real girlfriend but go behind her back to have a 'secret' girlfriend? Is this guy serious? Playing two girls at once?

"I just think..." he continued, "that we should lay low for a while with all that's happened, you know?" He slithered his hand to rest on top of hers but he didn't expect his gesture to be rudely rejected. Sakura tore her hand away as if his were on fire and quickly stood up in anger.

"You're just like them, Yukio. You prey on the weak and don't know when to quit, and you've definitely crossed the line with me!" She practically yelled into the surprised boy's face. A few students nearby turned their heads to the sudden sounds.

"For eight months I believed I was happy. For eight months you let me live in this sick fantasy, letting me hope and dream of a possible future with you. I kept thinking to myself that it was too good to be true, how you'd never go out with a girl like me, but because you did I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. For eight months you had me fooled and i'm tired of it!"

Now the rest of the students were engaged. Yukio stood up and reached out. "Sakura, ple-"

"No! I don't care anymore! I don't want anything to do with you, not now and not ever!" Sakura shrieked not noticing that she had started to cry. Yukio just stared in disbelief as the students mumbled amongst themselves, a few throwing her dirty looks, but she had had enough.

"I just..." She put her hands over her chest and squeezed her eyes shut. The pain of it all weighing heavily upon her shoulders. "I just don't care anymore..." her whisper was barely audible for Yukio but he heard. However, before he or anyone else could say a word, the small teen spun on her heels and raced down the hill towards the tree line of the valley's dense forrest.

Yukio stared wide-eyed after her unable to move his feet and unwilling to acknowledge the group of students who had now encompassed him.

"Well," the red-haird girl started with her arms crossed. "Nice job. Whatever you said sent that pathetic loser into the forbidden forrest."

He finally looked at her with questioning eyes.

"Looks like we won't be seeing her around anymore." She finished sounding almost sympathetic.

But Yukio still stood confused until someone to the left of him said, "No one goes into that forrest and survives, nor are they even found because no one dares to go in there."

A few gasps and mutterings of 'what ifs' hummed through the group in slightly suppressed excitement at the new turn of events. It seemed like this entire charade suddenly turned dangerous.

Another boy nodded his head in agreement to one of his friends and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "yeah, she'll probably never come back."

**Hope you liked this! Next chapter we'll see what happens when Sakura ventures into the forbidden forrest (not actual name, it was just pegged by the locals fyi) and how it literally flips her entire world upside down and inside out. **

**Review, because... well it just makes you feel better!**


	3. Chapter 3: Panic

**Sorry sorry sorry! I didnt' mean to be gone for so long, so much has happened, you know life heh... I greatly appreciate all your guys' support and am thankful for your patience. Just read it and love it. :)**

Chapter Three: Panic

When Sakura officially entered the forbidden forrest, she didn't even notice. Not much could be taken in as tears flooded her vision that melted the surrounding scenery into one massive green/gray blob. Yet, she continued running.

The vibrations from the force of her feet against the dirt raked through her body to the quick beating of her hurting heart. She felt suffocated and trapped in a reality no one should be endowed with, in fact, it all probably could've been avoided. Perhaps from her lack of wisdom by being so blindingly in love with a first class jerk and to the obvious marital problems between her parents, this entire thing might not have transpired.

So there it is. She's only here in due to her own stupidity.

Sakura thought about every little detail and event from the past eight months. Her parents believing in her happiness, encouraging their naive daughter to listen to her emotions instead of her brain in order to remain in bliss. Unbeknowest to the teen, it was merely a distraction from the growing complications between a husband and wife. Keeping Sakura happy and blind was nearly one mutual decision the dying couple agreed upon.

The tears flowed a little faster. _'If only... if only I knew what was really going on. They practically let me get hurt when they just could've told me the truth!'_

By this time, Sakura had already been running for nearly ten straight minutes deeper and deeper into the forrest with no real line of direction. The teacher must know by now that she is missing, but she doubts they'll send a search party in here. Like the stories say; no one ever comes out alive. That may seem completely cliche but it's real, which likely makes it that much more deadlier.

When she ran in only pumped up with adrenaline and total disregard for her life, fear had not been present because at the time it did not matter.

But now that Sakura had traveled deeper than anyone she knows, while being alone, fear began to come back to the surface. This is when she began to slow down and truly take in the surroundings.

Is this what she wanted? To be lost forever in the most deadly forrest in the country with no protection and no one for miles? She supposed the moment she entered was the moment she chose death, and at first it all seemed so sure because nothing mattered, but now why was she having second thoughts?

She honestly didn't believe it was her answer. Then a wave of regret washed over her and she literally fell to her knees in despair. The leaves and dirt clung to her wet skin and clothes from the high humidity of the day. It was suppose to be a hundred degrees by noon. But for some reason, the dense foliage of the forrest seemed to squeeze the heat more intensly between each tree and boulder.

Sakura wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, which actually didn't do any good as how her arms were covered in a thin layer of sweat. It felt like suffocating. Her clothes stuck to her skin as did pretty much everything else, and she felt gross.

After realizing she left her water bottle by the tree, the pink haired girl groaned and slammed her fist into the ground in frustration. Even in her last hours of living, she couldn't even enjoy a refreshing drink?

Maybe if there was some sort of river or pond or, hell, even an ocean would be fine!

_'Isn't there suppose to be a lake around here?'_

The girl shakily stood up and sluggishly walked forward upon hearing a new promising sound that seemed to have sprung up right after voicing her thoughts.

Sure enough, the sound was coming from the lapping of water on a shore of rocks and sand. She stopped and marveled at the most crystal clear lake she'd ever seen. It stretched thousands of feet out towards a green shore topped with tall rigged snow capped mountains; the very same mountains they all viewed upon entering the tourist viewing site.

Although her head was screaming to turn around and find the way back, her body was aching to rest and cool down. She looked cautiously around. The water looked so inviting and harmless, surely it would be alright to take a small dip to cool off and then be on her way.

_'After this... i'll find some shelter, maybe some food. I just can't go back yet...'_

Sakura tip toed to the water and slipped off her tennis shoes, then her socks, and gingerly dipped them into the water. Expecting it to be freezing cold, she tensed up, and for once she was right. The crystal clear liquid was frigid against her pale skin sending small shivers up her spine.

Quickly making up her mind she began to remove her top layers. Feeling a little self-conscious, Sakura left her red camisole on and her black spandex shorts always worn under her school skirts.

She slowly waded into the water until it reached just above her waist and then dunked the rest of her clothes as a way to keep herself cool when later searching for shelter and whatnot.

After a few minutes the water didn't seem so cold to the point where Sakura enjoyed the crisp refreshing feeling. It's a wonder no one ever came to this lake... despite the deadly warnings from the scary legends, it just seemed like another lake.

As the teen stood there, her mind traveled back to all the problems she just ran away from. Problems that merely running away couldn't solve but does give the runner a choice to face them or not.

She closed her eyes to stop the tears again. "I just wish that it would all go away. I wish I had never known any of them. I wish... someone would just take me away from here..."

Wishing, wishing, wishing. Not solving. In the back of her mind she knew by choosing this she was making the problem even worse, but at this point, she didn't really care.

With one swift move she tossed her other wet clothes onto a nearby rock and sunk back into the water until she was completely submerged. Underwater, green eyes opened to reveal a clear unspoiled world full of colorful rocks and sand, but was void of any aquatic life. Which wasn't all too strange, afterall _she_ was the stranger here.

Sakura continued to hold her breath for a while longer, just taking in the calming surroundings, until an irregular tingling feeling began to spread over her entire body. It was so sudden she accidentally sucked in a mouthful of water and sprang to the surface coughing violently.

She peered around frantically in fear there was something dangerous in the water. Maybe some kind of chemical so toxic that it's the reason no one is allowed here, or why some never made it back alive.

But when Sakura stopped looking around and her breathing was less frantic, there was a considerable different atmosphere unlike before. Something didn't feel right.

Shifting her eyes back and forth she decided to leave the possibly toxic water and scrambled to the shore.

_'Something is definitely off...'_

She checked herself over to make sure all was well. _'It could be some type of chemical that doesn't show its effects 'til later. Great.'_

Just what a runaway needs; an unamed disease.

Sakura shook her head and went to the nearby rock to retrieve her clothes, and gasped when it was bare. She looked again then moved around it until all surfaces were checked, but there were no sign of her clothes.

_'Okay, I know I put them on this particular rock.'_ She thought suspiciously. Then it occured to her; what if the other students followed and are now trying to scare her?

No, they also were afraid of the stories, they wouldn't come this far. Then again, she didn't believe they were capable of such deceitfulness, so it'd be safe not to put it pass them.

"Seriously," she started as she rung out her short pink hair. "You guys will never quit! Just leave me alone already!"

No one replied and nothing could be heard except for the slight breeze through the trees. Sakura clenched her fists and stared into the forrest.

"This is _not _funny. Give me back my clothes!" An infuriated Sakura stomped back through the trees on the path she took to the lake, trying to catch up to the students she knew stole her clothes, but never indeed witnessed.

She blindingly tore through tall bushes and low hanging branches until it opened up into a small clearing littered with purple lilacs. Stopping only for a moment to regain her previous direction, as having never coming across this particular clearing, Sakura still saw no sign of any human beings.

Panic began crawling its way up her body. Could she be lost? There was still plenty of time before nightfall to find the way back, but that merely gave her any comfort.

A branch suddenly snapped from somewhere behind her, but as Sakura spun around there was nothing in sight. Her adrenaline spiked.

Then in the near distance the whining of what sounded like a horse carried itself through the clearing to settle eerily on Sakura's ears. Avoiding wild animals in the forrest happened to be a top priority for her, and now she was fully prepared to run.

But before she could even lift one foot, there came a heavy pressure on her arm that caused her to yell out in surprise, and then in fear when she saw that it was a man. He looked middle-aged, burly, haggard in appearance and gave off an odorous smell.

"Don't even think about running young lady." He snarled.

In one rough motion he twisted her arm and wrapped his free arm over her chest in restraint. She screamed out again, panic sending more adrenaline through her body. This guy wasn't suppose to be out here, and surely wasn't suppose to be grabbing her in what looked like to be a kidnapping attempt.

"S-stop! Let me go!" She cried, trying to wriggle free of her captor's arms. The man grumbled in frustration and only tightened his grip to make her still.

"Stop movin' or i'll make sure you never move again." Came his new threat, but it didn't deter Sakura's resolve.

_'Get free get free get free!'_ Her mind screamed over and over again. She bent forward as much as she could, then swiftly swung back her head to bang it against his face.

He yelped as his grip loosened, which gave her the break she needed, and she bolted from the kidnapper's arms.

She had only ran a couple feet when something hard rammed across her abdomen, sending the girl to the forrest floor. She fell into the fetal position gasping for air, her nails digging into the dirt from the pain.

No, this wasn't right at all, this was all wrong! Why was she being attacked?

Seconds later she felt a presence kneeling closely in front of her.

"My my, it seems we have a fighter. Someone with fire." He drawled, sounding strangly pleased.

It was a different man. She noticed he was holding a thick wooden staff in his arms, most likely the weapon behind the attack, and his appearance was a bit younger than the first man. She quickly noted their odd but strangely familiar code of dress, and knew just by that that they weren't from the school.

His eyes roved across her body and she backed up self-consciously.

"Oh yes. Young, fresh, and fiesty. Yes, she will make a wonderful addition to the Master's household."

Sakura threw him a confused look and continued to back away in fear. What had he meant by that?

The man slowly stood up with a satisfied grin. "Lift her up."

That's when Sakura felt another presence, but this one was from behind. Large arms grasped both of hers and lifted her easily off the ground. She screamed again.

His hand shot out, grasping onto a gray piece of cloth and he pressed it firmly over her mouth and nose.

Completely caught off guard, Sakura took a sharp intake of breath and then regretted it. The scent on the cloth was pungent but she recognized the smell as something similar to chloroform.

A new wave of panic struck. Sakura, now realizing that this nightmare was about to take a more deadly turn, began to struggle violently against her captor; clawing at flesh and kicking back with as much force as possible. All the while she tried holding her breath, but the hand never faltered and eventually she sucked in a desperate breath of chemically induced air.

The struggle continued on for several more minutes, but only in vain. Soon, Sakura started feeling lightheaded, and then her hearing began to dissipate. She was slipping away.

_'I can't go down like this... I can't let this happen to me... I have to get free! I have... to...'_ her mind screamed in desperation until everything started to move slowly and she began to grow tired. So very tired.

_'Please... don't...'_

The last thing she saw was the light blue sky as her eyes slowly rolled up.

The last thing she heard was the young man's voice as he chuckled and said, "She'll never be free again."

* * *

><p><strong>So what do you think will happen now? When Sakura wakes up, she's going to get a nasty surprise, a few bruises, and more unaswered questions to her new unfortunate position in a world where pretty much nothing makes sense. Oh, and she meets with what one of the captor's calls, 'the Master.' Sakura will bring a whole new meaning to the word 'rebellious.' <strong>


	4. Chapter 4: Precious Cargo

**This chapter is a little shorter but I wanted to put another one up as soon as possible, but I hope it's enough for now. Thank you to my awesome reviewers, you all make my day and give me more of an incentive to write better and faster. **

Chapter Four: Precious Cargo

When Sakura came to, it was very slow and slightly painful. Her eyes were the first to move as they blinked heavily against fuzzy surroundings. After a few moments, they focused on thick metal beams and that's when she bolted upright, completely ignoring the throbbing in her head.

_'What the hell!'_

Her head whipped around in all directions taking in a disbelieving image. Metal beams melted into flat plates that produced a low ceiling and equally small ground to which she sat inside.

It was a cage.

"Hey girl-"

Sakura jumped at the sound and instinctively shuffled into the nearest corner, back pressed against the steel bars. She stared at the source of the voice to find a girl not much older than herself, with short blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that stared intensely in return.

"It's okay, I know you're scared, but you don't have to be afraid of me. My name is Oni." The girl said with a more hushed tone than before. Sakura didn't miss the weary glance Oni made towards the sides of the cage, which she noticed was moving as if it were being pulled.

"W-what's going on? Why am I in this thing-" Oni put a hand to Sakura's mouth and put a finger to her own lips in a please-keep-your-voice-down gesture.

"Tell me your name first." Oni demanded.

Sakura gave her a cautious look and slowly answered, "Sakura. This better not be some sort of sick joke."

Oni noticed her hands clench into fists. "I wish it was. You are in a cage that is currently on it's way to what they call the 'Master's Household,' and we are prisoners." She informed.

"What do you mean by 'prisoners?' I swear if you're friends with Yukio and Rina and those other idiots, I will call the cops on harrasment charges and file restraining orders against all of you!" Sakura angrily shouted to which Oni again quickly covered her mouth.

"Be quiet!" Oni hissed. "I have no idea who and what you are talking about but you need to keep your voice down or the men outside will shut you up in their own way, and believe me, you don't want that."

She then removed her hand slowly and sat back with a pleading look, and this time Sakura kept her voice low.

"If you're not with them, then what are you doing here, and why am I involved?" She was beginning to really get scared now. At first she believed the students were playing a horrible trick by pretending to kidnap and put her in a cage, but now she wasn't so sure.

"Sakura, we were all captured to become working slaves for the leader of the Dark Land. He is both powerful and dangerous without a single care for anyone but himself. I was captured three days ago, just before the rest of them." Oni finished by pointing to the front of the cage where five other people, both girl and boy young and old, huddled together in one of the far corners. How Sakura didn't notice them at first, was beyond her.

"They brought you in earlier this afternoon and you've been unconscious ever since. I reckon that was about six hours ago."

Oni watched Sakura's reactions to her words and felt a growing pity for the disheveled girl. Sakura looked down at her hands, a million questions racing through her tired mind.

"I... don't understand what is going on here. This can't be possible. Slaves have been banned for centuries, so what those people are doing is illegal!" Sakura accused with a slightly raised voice.

Oni cocked her head to one side and countered, "where exactly are you from? Everyone knows that slavery _is_ legal in every land"

Sakura gave her a crazed look. The last time she checked, slavery in everyway, was illegal in all parts of the world. Something was not right here. A thought crossed her mind that sent waves of shivers down her spine.

"Oni?" She nearly decided against asking the question in fear of the answer. "What... kind of slavery are we talking about?"

"The hard-working kind, of course." The blonde answered as if it were obvious. Then after a moment of thought she realized the underlying questions Sakura dared not ask out loud.

"Oh you mean... no no no it's not _that_ kind of slavery. Everyone knows that those who are taken there are forced to do hard manual labor for the Leader, and they never return to their original homes."

The metal cage jostled from side to side as it was apparently being driven over a rough patch of road, at least that's what Sakura assumed they were on. Probably some sort of back road that hardly anyone was aware of, which meant a lesser chance of being rescued or escaping. To this thought, Sakura brought her knees up and hugged them tightly.

"Hey, you didn't answer my question. Where are you from anyway? Your clothes are awfully strange." Oni pointed out while she scooted closer till they were side by side.

Sakura glanced down at her wardrobe, or lack thereof, and then studied the girl next to her. Oni donned a long deep purple and black skirt with a few layers that fully covered her legs and feet. Above her exposed midriff was a tight matching top that reached her neck and went to her fingertips but left her shoulders bare. There was too much fabric in the arms and skirt, making it look almost medieval. It was something straight out of a halloween catalogue or some sort of cartoon because she'd never witness anyone in the real world sporting such wear.

'And my clothes are strange?'

"I'm from the Kuni District in Kawano City." She answered sadly. Thinking about home brought on more guilt and the pain of possibly losing it all struck her hard, and she began to cry. Now who would find her? No one would go into the forrest and she had no idea where she was now, and the thought of being someone's slave did not sit right at all.

Oni, whose concern was growing for the odd pink-haired girl, grasped Sakura's hand and gently rubbed her arm in an attempt to soothe her.

"Sakura? Everything about you is strange... from your hair to your chakra... but we are now friends, and please listen when I say that i'll be like your big sister and watch over and protect you. Because... this won't be easy. So if we stick together and watch each other's backs, we will be okay and we'll escape someday."

Sakura tilted her head from her knees to look at Oni through tear-filled eyes. Her words were kind and soft, but held no ground. As far as she was concerned, everything was gone. Her mom, dad, home, school, life, and future. They were all lost and there was nothing she could do to get it back.

_'Because you had to be stupid! Running away from things that could be fixed, but did you care to ever think that? Have I truly taken everything for granted? I don't want to hurt anyone... I never meant to cause them pain... I want my parents back... '_

"I want my life back!" She suddenly shouted causing Oni to wince.

Sakura quicly shifted her position and raised herself as far as the ceiling would let her and yelled through the bars, "LET ME GO! I CAN NOT BE A SLAVE!" She then proceeded to scream and cry hysterically. In the next moment the cage was stopped and two men appeared before the girl, with one of them holding a long metal rod that had two smaller stubby poles on the end.

Sakura pounded on the bars. "LET. ME. OUT! This is illegal! If it's money you want, my parents will give you anything you ask!"

"Shut up, girly. You'd do well to keep quiet or i'll my friend here do it for ya." One man sneered as the one holding the rod smirked.

"Sakura stop!" Oni hissed.

It didn't deter Sakura in the least bit. "Please, this is wrong! I have to get back to my family!"

"We said shut up!" Without warning the man thrust the rod into Sakura's side which was letting off an intense electric current. She screamed and fell to the ground in the fetal position.

"Stupid wench." He spat, then thrust the rod again into Sakura's exposed side, causing her to flip over and scream again.

"Teach her a lesson, Goki." The other man laughed and disappeared. Goki grinning evilly, grasped the rod and began prodding every reachable place on the poor pink-headed girl. One after the other, shocking, electrocuting, never ceasing. Her screams turned into groans as the pain reached an unbearable point.

Oni wanted nothing more than to jump in and punch Goki in the face, but she knew it'd have even worse repercussions.

Sakura was beginning to feel dizzy and numb. Through lidded eyes she could still see white electricity from the rod, and prayed it would stop soon.

_'Make it stop... make the pain stop please... i'm sorry i'm so sorry mom... I shouldn't have left... i'm sorry... '_

She could feel the darkness creeping up her spine. _'If I am to die, please let it be quick...'_

"That's enough, Goki. We don't want our precious cargo to arrive spoiled now do we?" A voice suddenly cut through the darkness. A moment later, the white light disappeared leaving only a few fresh pockets of pain since everything else was numb.

"Besides," he continued, "we're almost there."

Sakura didn't hear them leave nor did she feel the cage begin to move again but something warm was tugging at her body. She slowly opened her eyes to see Oni pulling her to the back of the cage and gently moving her body to a sitting position.

"You moron. I told you to listen to me and stay quiet!" Oni scolded but Sakura could clearly see the worry in her sky blue eyes.

"I thought you had fainted on me, but you are stronger than you look. How do you feel?" She questioned softly.

Sakura attempted to shift into a better position and winced at the pain. "Like i'm a test dummy for the electric chair."

Oni gave her a confused look, having no idea what an electric chair was, but thought better of asking. "Yeah, that feeling won't go away for a while. I'm sorry... "

"It's okay. It was my fault." Sakura whispered, finding that the loudness of her own voice was giving her a headache. "I just... want to sleep."

Oni nodded her head. "Go ahead. I'll wake you right before we get there." She moved over so Sakura could have room to stretch out. She barely heard her say 'thank you,' before the teen passed out on the cage floor.

_'Sleep well, Sakura. Because when we get there, you will wish you had never woke.'_ Oni thought pityingly.

The cage lolled and creaked as the travel went on, passing numerous trees and hills and the random wooden structure. Oni watched wearily as it all passed, leaving less and less room between here and the infamous household. She calculated their arrival to be sometime within the hour. She glanced down at the sleeping Sakura.

_'You are different... I can tell. You are not just an ordinary human, Sakura. And I just hope nobody else will notice. Especially... _him.'

**Okay, next chapter I promise she will meet with 'him.' I hope I am leaving enough mystery to keep you all intrigued :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Transition Assistance

**Alright a new chapter! I took longer to write this one because I kept changing how Sakura was going to meet Sasuke and a few other scenes. I think it turned out pretty good. **

Chapter 5: Transition Assistance

Metal clanged against metal. "Get up!"

Sakura stirred and then bolted upright at the loud demands. The guards were standing in front of the cage door each holding a piece of a long metal chain with a shackle placed evenly apart.

"There'll be no funny business or i'll sting ya." One particularly ugly guard threatened as he unlocked the door.

Sakura's fear resurfaced as her eyes frantically searched for an escape. "What's going on?" She whispered tightly.

Oni clenched her fists and stared down the men. "We're here."

"Where is _here_?"

One guard suddenly reached through the opening to grab onto a young boy's leg and harshly pulled him out onto the dirt floor where he was immediately shackled. The women who were huddled with him shrieked in retaliation.

"We haven't got all day!" The same guard motioned for the others to follow, and they obeyed out of fear.

During this scene, Sakura moved away from the door and closer to Oni. There was no way in hell she was going to willingly step out of this cage, not knowing what her fate was going to be.

Oni squeezed Sakura's arm and tilted her head slightly towards her without breaking eye contact with the guards.

"You have to listen to me, Sakura." She whispered frantically. "I know it goes against every bone in your body but you have to obey them. We can't stay in here, and creating a fuss will only earn us a harsh beating."

Sakura tried listening but the sound of her wild heartbeat drowned out most of the noise. _'Did she just say_ obey?'

"Sakura, please, just do as I say." Oni pleaded when she saw the warring expression. "I promise you will be okay."

_'Okay? Does she not realize that we've been kidnapped! Who knows what these monsters will do to us...'_ Sakura shuddered.

In seconds, the space was empty except for the two frightened girls. Oni slowly pulled Sakura towards the door, her body as stiff as a board. Sakura refused.

"We have to fight!" She argued almost pleadingly.

"We will have our chance, but now is not the time. Trust me. _Trust_ me."

Oni continued to pull and found it a little less difficult this time, knowing her words were getting through. Sakura remained silent though, only shooting death glares to every guard her eyes could reach.

Once they were in arms reach, two guards took hold of them each and hastily shackled their hands out in front of them until the entire lot was bound to a single chain.

Sakura was disgustingly reminded of the old slave trades and the last time she checked, kidnapping and slavery were still outlawed.

_'Oni better be right.'_

"Hurry it up. If we're late we won't get paid, and i'll be damned if I have to walk away empty handed!" One guard heatedly exclaimed to the rest of them. Apparently he was in charge.

Sakura winced at the dirty shackles tightly bound to her wrists, and noticed how bruised and stiff her muscles were from the electric rod. As she was mentally cursing the guard out, her eyes were lifted to view nothing but dark gray tones in every direction. High rugged brick walls protruded from the poorly kept grounds of what seemed to be a castle-like fortress. Iron bars sharpened at the end dotted the outer layers of the walls and even sprang up from the dirt itself in mangled rows.

It appeared to be ancient and had a slight resemblance to a mid-century English castle, but had not seen war for probably over a century.

Despite the situation, Sakura became entranced.

The men had led them through a high narrow door that opened up into a disgruntled courtyard where various animals and livestock roamed free and small poorly managed vegetable gardens lined one of the brick walls. The area must've been the size of an olympic pool yet seemed very crowded with all that was being managed.

Sakura looked left and right, creating a mental map for future references, and caught sight of several workers who paused to stare at the 'new batch' of slaves.

_'When the hell am I going to wake up from this nightmare!'_ She thought frustratingly.

Once they crossed the courtyard they were led into a series of smaller open yards, and then small rooms, and then led into a large chamber that could only be in the main compound itself. Despite the walls and floors being made of stone, Sakura interestingly noted the large intricate carpet coming from a narrow walkway from wence they appeared from, to a wider pathway leading to the main area where no stone could be seen on the ground. She also noticed how the men carefully made sure that the entire group stepped to the side to walk down the path where the ground was bare against their feet.

It was incredibly dreary. Numerous candles and the occasional torch were the only sources of light. Sakura wondered if the entire castle was like this.

_'So... i've been kidnapped by Amish people?'_

The leader of the men suddenly motioned for them to stop. "All of you, face me." They obeyed reluctantly until they looked like a line of of forsaken souls getting ready to greet the grim reaper.

"Listen up!" He barked at them. "You will not make a sound. You will not move. You will obey every command that is given to you." By this time, he had begun to walk back and forth, making sure to stop for only a moment in front of each one, staring down menacingly to better squash any rising resolve.

Sakura regretfully shivered under his intense face, but her resolve only grew.

"The Master will have a look at each of ya, and determine which part of this place you will help run. Any of you miserable animals dares to object to his will, will surely see a bloody red end to your short puny lives. Believe me... his hands do not do the punishing."

Sakura lifted her head at the way the man stressed the last bit of his sentence. It didn't make much sense.

The leader seemed to be finished with his welcoming speech as he nodded to his fellow men, and they sauntered through another set of doors in brighter spirits when a ward of the compound handed them their earnings.

_'Finally.'_ Sakura thought relieved, and set her attentions on escaping the chains. They didn't seem too complex, just poor iron work. But the mechanism proved to be a little more difficult as she twisted her wrists this way and that trying to mentally map out the interior iron work.

All too soon, footsteps were heard approaching the room. The women grasped to each other tightly unable to stop their flow of tears because they all knew they've reached the last leg of possible freedom. It only made the small teen work faster. It was definitely a good thing she'd been placed last on the chain, meaning she was closest to the door.

"Ah, new slaves." A high clean voice swept through the room turning all heads. It was a man medium in stature and build but oddly donned grayish hair. It drastically contrasted with his youthful face, especially with the round glasses he wore.

And then, as if a vacuum were switched on, the warmth was sucked out to leave dense cold air that made Sakura break out in goosebumps. But her shudders weren't caused by the drastic change of climate, but due to an ominous dark presence that hauntingly followed the gray-haired man.

For a moment, she ceased all movement and focused on the new figure that filled the room with an intensity she's never felt before. This must be the Master.

_'Dammit, Sakura, you don't have time to stare!'_ Mentally slapping herself, she continued her mission trying to be as discreet as possible.

"Only seven?" Quipped the first man. "Suyo and his men must be hitting a dry spell." He held up a large open book and placed the tip of a pencil on the edge, ready to scribble down whatever he needs. "Let's get this started."

Sakura glanced up as the dark figure stood directly in front of the first person in the line, which was a middle-aged woman. He stared straight at her for a moment until she began to shake uncontrollably until a desperate sound escaped her throat, "i'll do as you say! Just make it stop!"

Whatever he was mentally putting her though didn't sound pleasant, but perhaps it was just some cheap eye trick... or something. Then he spoke. "Kitchen." It was cold, without emotion, and felt so final that almost everyone in the room shuddered. The woman sobbed while her shackles were removed and she was rudely rushed away from the area.

The figure moved down the line to the next victim, and then the next. He was moving much too efficiently for Sakura's liking, and she feared it would be too late... but then a breakthrough!

Her shackles went limp but she didn't let them fall or make noise. _'Finally! Alright... get to the door and run like hell...'_

"Blacksmith."

_'Run!'_ Sakura threw off the chains, bursted to the door and bolted down the passageway without a single look over the shoulder. She didn't notice the yelling from behind because her heartbeat drummed violently in her ears. She pushed doors away, jumped over miscellaneous objects, even shoved a few people aside who had no idea what was going on, and ran through the open courtyard towards the gate that would lead to the outside.

_'Just keep running no matter what!'_ She repeated to herself. The gate drew near and by some miracle it was open, allowing a small group of adults carrying caged chickens through from the other side. Throwing whatever manners she had left away, she practically bulldozed her way in the crowd through the narrow gate and popped up victorious on the outside.

_'Yes! Keep going keep going, don't stop!'_ Adrenaline high with a dash of desperation, Sakura kicked even harder against the ground. The lake was her destination, because there she could try to find her way back again, but this time with a little more planning.

She followed the path that led into the wilderness for about five seconds until an invisible force collided with her body and she tumbled hard to the floor. It completely knocked the wind out of her, but brimming with survival instincts, she burst back up only to freeze at the sight in front of her.

A tall, dark man covered in an all-black cloak stood menacingly still in the path's way. He was the object she had collided with. How he moved so fast as to beat her to this place and then act as if it were totally easy, was beyond comprehension. And at this point, Sakura didn't really care.

"Let me go. I have a right to be free." She demanded and stepped into a defensive stance.

The man made no attempt to reply or acquiesce to her demand.

Sakura grew increasingly frustrated when she noticed the withering light disappear over the horizon, and knew she had to leave now in order to reach the lake by nightfall. If she was lucky.

"Let me go! I just want to get back to my family, okay? So step away!"

But instead of obeying, the man took a handle of steps forward, all the while staring intensely at Sakura. Said girl took a hesitant step back. She didn't exactly have the fortitude of a fighter to expect to win a fight against this guy.

She was about to yell in warning but stopped open-mouthed as her eyes caught his. Was it her imagination or were they glowing red? They were! And not only that, they were... spinning?

Sakura stared for a moment and then blinked several times to ensure they weren't playing tricks on her. Yet, the man's eyes were still a bright red. Were these the very eyes he used against the first few people?

At first the word 'vampire' screamed through Sakura's mind, but the logical side spoke up to suggest they were just really expensive contacts created to intimidate people like her.

After another few short awkward moments of intense eye-staring, the man finally blinked in a look of slight bewilderment as his eyes returned to normal.

"How did you do that?" His cold gruff voice cut through the silence. Sakura cocked her head to one side, "do what?"

Instead of answering, the man activated his red eyes again, this time with more chakra. It was beginning to really creep the teen out.

"Um, whatever you're doing... it's not working. What are you trying to do anyway?" Not that she really wanted to know but the situation was becoming very curious.

"Hn."

Sakura took note of his lack of vocabulary or inability to speak properly to another, very frustrating, but before she could comment, there was a burst of energy from the man and then they were airborne.

He had quickly grasped her waist and jumped into the air with unimaginable speed and moved through the forrest into the fortress with unmatched agility that Sakura had never witnessed before and barely comprehended, even as she was dumped unceremoniously into a large room.

"Sasuke-sama, you've returned with the runaway." The gray-haired man stated slightly amused.

Sakura was having a hard time processing the new information. How in the world did he do what he just did? And now his name's Sasuke?

"Where should we put this one? The garden, or the kitchen, maybe the cellar perhaps?" Four-eyes opened his notebook just as a pair of hefty men, donning servant attire, entered the room and headed towards the girl.

"I don't think so!" Sakura sprang up.

"Struggling is futile at this point, my dear. You're a slave now and will do as commanded by myself and the Master."

"No! I have a right to be free! What you're doing is illegal and wrong!" She backed up towards the wall as the men advanced, as panic gripped her body. _'This is really happening... they're going to make me a slave for the rest of my life and i'll never see my family again... I can't let them take me... at least not without a fight!'_

"So, Sasuke-sama. Shall I book her for the laundry crew?"

Sakura threw a pleading look in Sasuke's direction just as the guards pounced and grasped both of her arms.

"No." Sasuke said.

Sakura stopped struggling and for a moment feared he had something more sinister in mind for her. The other man gave him a questioning look.

"She'll be my personal servant."

Sakura gasped with wide-eyes that followed the dark figure out of the room as he quickly left the scene. The gray-haired man stared on for a second wearing a contemplative face bordering on boredom until he 'tsked' and proceeded to write something down.

"No way!" Sakura loudly rejected. The guards continued struggle with containing her arms. "I have my rights!"

The man lifted an eyebrow amused, "and what rights are those?"

"Slavery is illegal! By law I have a right to be free!" Were these people just playing dumb or did they seriously adopt a lawless lifestyle?

He replied with a quizzical look, "I do not know the laws of wherever you're from, but here in this kingdom, Sasuke-sama's word is law, and no one is excluded from it."

"Wait! I don't belong here, you'll be in serious trouble!" Sakura tried twisting our of her captor's grip and kicked one in the knee during the process. This earned her a slap in the face which caused her to lose balance and fall to the floor in complete shock. No one had ever done that before!

"Enough!" The man commanded.

"We're sorry Kabuto-sama." One of the guards replied shakily, and they both bowed low. Sakura, still frozen holding her cheek, gazed on as the man now named Kabuto towered over the quivering men with a sneering look.

"No one is to lay a hand on the Master's personal slave. Now take her to Tsuki in the wet rooms, and make sure she stays there. We need her cleaned and properly dressed." He ended his commands by snapping his book shut and pushing up his glasses. "But first, bring her here."

The guards scrambled to obey. "Please! Just let me go!" Sakura pleaded desperately as the men pinned her arms against her body hard. A few tears escaped as she watched helplessly as Kabuto pulled out a small syringe full of a clear substance and injected it into her right arm.

"So you don't squirm so much." He calmly answered her obvious unspoken question. And as soon as he finished that sentence, Sakura began to feel her muscles relax slightly. Kabuto smiled an almost creepy smile and then disappeared from the room.

By now, whatever he had injected her with was really starting to work as Sakura felt a sensation close to that of being heavily intoxicated. Her feet slid clumsily across the stone floor with her miserable attempts to escape the guards clutches, and occasionally her head would lull to one side.

They led her slowly down some stairs, through intricate hallway passages, and passed several rooms until they arrived at the section of the compound known as the 'wet rooms.' A tall and round woman greeted them coldly at the door.

"What is this?" Her high rich voice resonated down the hallway as she scrutinized the groggy girl.

"This is the Master's new personal servant. She's to be prepared for him immediately." One guard answered matter-of-factly.

The woman put one hand on her large hip. "What's wrong with her?"

"Kabuto-sama's doing." The other answered irritably. Sighing knowingly, she motioned them inside to lay her on a stone slab. After obeying her orders, the men retreated from the room and Sakura was left alone with the large scary-looking woman.

"I can... I can walk..." She lifted herself up and tried walking towards the door in a last desperate attempt to leave.

"Ah no you don't. No one ever escape's past me. Now let's get you cleaned up, yes?"

Sakura blinked up at the lady when her thick arms held her inside the room and began leading her into another.

"You're a strange one. Where is it that you're from?" She asked honestly curious. Sakura didn't answer at first when they entered the second room which was very large and filled with many little steaming pools. Girls of all ages turned to stare at the newcomer.

"What're... what're you all... staring at?" The medicine turned her mouth almost numb and she sounded like a drunkard. This feeling didn't go away, or even start to dissipate until about a half-hour later when Sakura found herself in a simple gray and red kimono that barely brushed past her knees and a pair of simple wooden sandals complete with traditional socks that were definitely going to make future escape attempts difficult.

"There. Now you're ready." The burly woman stated. "It'd be wise not to put up anymore of a fuss here. And forget all about trying to leave because no one has ever escaped. At least, not alive." She gave a quick laugh and pushed an abnormally quiet teen towards the door where a pair of guards were waiting.

"She's ready." The men returned the nod while grasping the girl. Inside Sakura's head, a battle of emotions were raging.

_'Is she right? Am I ever going to get out of here? No, I can't let them get to me, i'm smarter than this. My family is waiting for me and I won't let my future be decided by these criminals. But how am I going to get out of this? Maybe I can make them believe i've lost the will to run, become a quiet submissive servant and try to find the loopholes. Then, in maybe a month or two or three, I can make the escape.'_

The plan seemed to be perfect. Endure the discomfort and humiliation of being a slave for just a little bit in order to achieve life-long freedom. It gave a new strength and hope to the pink-haired girl.

As Sakura went over her new plans, she failed to realize where the guards had ended up until they were fully stopped in front of a large plain wooden door. It opened slowly to reveal a large semi-dark room, sparsely furnished with a musty air hanging in despair over their heads. Two sets of hands literally pushed her inside to retreat from the room, slamming the door in the process. Now she couldn't breathe.

"H-hello?" She choked out. Was this her new room or was someone in here? Then, out of the corner of her eye, something moved. It seemed to be rising and began to advance with only an outline for Sakura to make out.

"Kizuna no ketsueki jutsu!"

Sakura barely had time to spin around to see a bright ball of red electric energy fly and hit her square in the chest. The force of the impact and the sudden immense pain were too much all at once, and the young girl slid into an unpleasant unconsciousness.

**Don't mind the jutsu name, it's probably wrong but i'll explain what it's suppose to mean later. So Sakura is going to get a rude awakening in a bit as she comes even closer to the mysterious Sasuke-sama. Oh and Oni is around, don't worry she'll be back soon. Was this satisfying?**


	6. Chapter 6: First Death

**I know I know, I suck big time for taking so long with this update. I have all the big stuff figured out, it's just the little things and the links that get me.**

**By the way, if I get a character wrong or something, politely let me know and I'll try to fix it. I'm trying to stay close to character as possible, but sometimes I may put in a tweak or two. That's what fanfics all about right!**

Chapter 6: First Death

So, i've come up with three different reasons why i'm waking up with such a massive headache. You know, the I-can't-even-open-my-eyes-it-hurts-so-much kind? Yeah. Number one: I fell asleep to my parents' incessant arguing again. Two: Blood sugar is extra low from lack of nutrition. Three: I've hit my head at school, thus putting me into a coma, and this whole kidnapping thing has been a bad dream. A really bad dream.

It really felt like someone punched me in the head. I felt myself grip what appeared to be sheets, which indicated some kind of bed lay beneath me._ 'There better be white curtains and red walls when I open my eyes.'_ I wished desperately that the sheets were indeed my own from my bedroom. Heck, i'd settle for a hospital bed if it meant not waking up a prisoner in some crazy backwards world.

Okay, steady breath.

Slowly, my heavy eyelids lifted to reveal a semi-dark room with sandy brown walls and a high-vaulted ceiling. Definitely not my room, or any normal hospital room. Great.

I started to move my legs while my arms shakily propped me up and even though my head still spun, I pushed through and managed into a sitting position. That's when a slightly familiar voice came from my right, and I jumped.

"No need to be alarmed. It's just me, your good friend, Kabuto." Into the light stepped the silver-haired man I had seen standing beside and helping that creepy master guy when we were first brought here. That's right, i'm probably in one of their rooms and that's why I wasn't able to recognize anything.

I glared at him now. "What happened to me?"

He chuckled and handed me a porcelain cup with some kind of dark liquid in it. I held it at arms length, scrunching up my face at the odd smell, letting him know I was deeply suspicious.

"It's not poison, if that's what you're thinking." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his pointed nose. "It's merely a medicine mixture to combat the migraine from the bonding process. Avoid smelling it if you can."

I gazed at the cup in thought. _'I suppose if they had wanted to kill me, they would've done it already. Here it goes.'_

The instant the drink hit the back of my tongue, I nearly choked, because oh did it taste something awful! "Medicine huh?" I coughed out. Tasted more like death.

He eyed me curiously. "You're no where near from around here."

"Well, if I knew where _here_ was, then I could tell you." I pointed out. My brain still felt like it was railing against my skull, and I inwardly urged the medicine to start working for the sake of my sanity. The man named Kabuto sighed.

"It surely can't be your lack of manners that intrigues Sasuke-sama so."

My head snapped up at this. "I don't want to _intrigue_ anyone. I just want to go home." I silently wondered how long I could stay sane in this place. I missed my parents terribly and they're probably sick with worry looking for me.

"That is no longer an option for you. Best get use to this place quick, because now you belong to the Master." Kabuto reprimanded. I jerked my head away, feeling anger rush through me at his words, until I remembered something.

"You mentioned a bonding process. What exactly does that mean?" I watched impatiently while he removed his glasses, rubbed a cloth over the lenses, and glided them back onto his now smirking face.

"The bonding process is not uncommon here. Upon being inducted into our services, a slave must go through this in order to prevent them from escaping the compound. There is a set perimeter to which a slave is entitled to stay in; usually the outer layers of the compound walls serve as that barrier."

I shifted uncomfortably on the bed but made no move to interrupt.

"The one who conducts the process performs a very complex jutsu that, in plain terms, puts a small portion of themselves into the victim. This means that Sasuke-sama can, in simple terms, sense you on a psychic level. His presence inside of you will become very strong whenever he needs you, and he'll always know where you are. That's why escaping here is impossible."

His words sounded foreign to me, like right out of a science fiction book. So now he can pretty much tell me what to do through... what... telepathy? It sounded ludicrous. Stuff like that didn't exist, but I wasn't about to argue with the guy. Although, Kabuto has been relatively friendly, I sensed a danger in him, some kind of secret that gave him an unspoken power. I had to be extra careful with this one.

"I should also mention," he continued, "that if a slave were to somehow leave the grounds, the real purpose of the bond will activate. I'm sure I won't need to go into detail when I say you'd be dead within several minutes. Unless, of course, you managed to get back in. But why chance it?" Kabuto shrugged and smirked.

"And how do I know these aren't just scare tactics?" It really did seem like a load of bull.

The man turned to leave, his smile never faltering, but before exiting the room, he glanced over his shoulder and said, "what do you think happened to all his other personal slaves?"

I could only stare, jaw clenched in fear, as he left me alone. What was that suppose to mean? It was an eerie insinuation that Sasuke-sama literally drove prior slaves to suicide. Okay I get it; he's evil. My intentions had already been secured in keeping a safe distance from him and everyone else here.

Heaving a sigh I gazed slowly around the room and quickly noted the contents were most humble with one lone wooden dresser on the far wall, a splintered stool in the corner and a tiny granite sink complete with a cracked mirror close to the door. It surely spelled 'peasant,' and yet my new status went below that of one. Guess I should be thankful they even gave me a decent bed.

Well, it won't be excrutiatingly painful to tolerate the meek amenities because after all, I wasn't staying long.

I gingerly stood up from the bed and slipped on a pair of sandals neatly placed on the end. _'Well, if no one needs me, i'll just be around investigating.'_

The door opened without a sound, and I held my breath as I snuck a peak down the hallway, which thankfully was empty. Maybe I can find my way over to the stables again. This place was suffocating and I really needed some fresh air, even if that Sasuke guy needs me, he can just wait.

The torch-lit hallways seemed never ending, twisting here and there almost like a labyrinth- almost like it were built this way on purpose. Frustration scrunched my eyebrows together as I put a palm to the face, scolding myself for not asking Kabuto for some kind of map. Then I started turning into occupied hallways with all types of people scurrying about, some carrying heavy loads, others engaged in hushed conversations.

A few passed quickly by upon seeing me, dropping weird looks that I couldn't decipher. I decided to approach someone who hadn't noticed me yet. A young boy, probably no older than twelve years old, was busy talking to an elder woman carrying a load of what looked to be white bed sheets.

"Um, hi." My hand raised up in an awkward wave to greet them, as to which I received more weird stares. "I was just wondering if maybe one of you knew how to get to the stables? You know, one of the courtyards with all the animals?"

The young boy shifted nervously while looking up at the woman to see her reaction. She managed to wiggle a wrinkled finger down a passage to my right. "When you reach the fourth door on the left, take it and turn right down two flights of stairs. You'll end up in the greeting hall then you can continue following it down and it's the last door out."

Alright brain, remember that. "Thank you very much." I said and bowed my head. When I looked up, they were already shuffling the opposite way, as if I had the plague. Or something. Setting it aside for now, my feet attempted to follow the directions, and a few minutes later I found myself standing in the middle of a very familiar room. The room that us prisoners were first taken to, to be tested and sorted.

_'They call it the greeting room, huh? Wasn't aware that hell had a greeting room.'_ I loudly scoffed and went back down the hallway I had recently tried to escape out of, and finally, there was sunlight and fresh air. Judging by the brightness, it was no later than noon. So that means I slept through the entire night and morning.

My lungs sucked in a big gulp of air and my body relaxed by the warmth of the summer sun. Despite the circumstances, it _was_ a gorgeous day. I scanned the grounds, noting the chicken coop on the far right with long rows of various growing plants. The stables were just to my right with maybe thirty stalls filled with beautiful looking horses, and there were numerous cages and pens for all types of animals from pigs to sheep. Gazing towards the large piles of hay in the far left corner, a glimpse of short blonde hair rekindled something from my memory. I took a few steps forward, ignoring the stares some of the workers were giving me, and squinted my eyes to try and get a better look at the figure. Then she turned around and my heart jumped.

"ONI!" I shouted as relief flooded through me. She spotted me from across the way, her eyes growing big. I couldn't believe that I had nearly forgotten about her. My feet scurried through the groups of workers to Oni, who had dropped the bundle of hay she had been carrying and quickly embraced me, tears in her eyes. The world didn't feel so empty at that moment.

"Oh Sakura, I thought you were dead! When you ran and Sasuke went after you, I was certain he was going to kill you. And when you didn't come back I just..."

I squeezed her comfortingly as guilt riddled through me. In the short time we've known each other, she'd taken the role of someone like a big sister, and had gotten me through everything that had happened so far.

"It's okay, Oni, i'm alive." I said reassuringly. We let go and I smiled as she dried her eyes on the back of her kimono sleeve.

"I know." She said. "These are just tears of relief. So what really happened? The gossip around this dump is saying you're Sasuke's new slave. Is that true?"

I gave her a curious look. "Aren't we suppose to be calling him master or something? Won't we get in trouble?"

She waved a dismissive hand at me and smirked. "The last thing i'm going to do is call that jerk 'master.' And the worst they will do is take away a days ration of food. No big deal. So is it true?"

"Yes." I sighed a little exasperated. Not really wanting to get into an in depth discussion about it I quickly opened my mouth again.

"You don't seem to fear him, or the others." I pointed out. She scoffed. "It's a waste of time, you know. That's what they want you to do, fear them. But that's the last thing you want to do in this place, trust me."

I decided not to remark on that comment, but instead tried shifting the topic. "So, what do they have you doing?"

Oni crossed her arms and glared back towards the group of people working around the hay piles. "Field work. Mostly harvesting the food for the animals. Honestly, it's a waste of my talents."

My lips squeezed together, trying to hold back a laugh, but I just couldn't help it. Thankfully my headache was gone, otherwise it would've hurt. "Really? Your first day as a slave and you're already criticizing them for their lack of sight for talent? Because i'm sure washing all the dirty undergarments in this place is a much more glamorous job."

The blonde girl frowned. "Well, when Sasuke chased after you, Kabuto decided to finish up the placements, and that's why i'm here." Then her face turned thoughtful. "Actually, Sakura, your little disappearing act was a blessing to me. So I actually owe you one."

My head tilted to one side in confusion. "A blessing? How do you mean?"

Oni didn't have time to answer as a middle-aged burly man strode up wearing an odd metal ensemble. "What do you think you're doing? Get back to work!" He spat out angrily. Oni shot him a glare, as did I, and we didn't move.

"I happen to be having a conversation with my friend here. So if you don't mind, piss off!" Oni yelled back much to my surprise. The guard's face turned a bright red in anger, and he jerked his hand out to grasp Oni's arm tightly. She didn't seem to flinch but I could tell it was hurting her, which was only making her more upset. This girl had guts. And we now had most of the attention in the courtyard.

"How dare you speak to me that way, you filthy little slave!" He brought his other hand up in a motion to strike Oni, and that's when I got scared. I'm not sure what had possessed me, but I felt a surge of adrenaline mixed with a strong desire to protect my only friend, and I felt my body practically lunge for the man's arm. I grabbed it tight, using both arms and all of my strength to hold the force of his attack back.

Adrenaline is funny in that it can affect everyone a little differently inside its two boundaries of the flight or fight instinct. I apparently had triggered the fighting instinct, but along with that came something like tunnel-vision and the loss of sound and the world around me. My main focus was just holding back the man's arm from causing harm to Oni. I had no other plan but that, in fact no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't even think of a plan, not even just one move. Just stand my ground. And of course, it didn't last at all.

"Stupid girl!" The guard shouted, and I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for something. I suddenly felt his arm lurch back with me still attached, and then thrown to the ground so hard that I lost my grip and had the wind knocked of out me.

My body immediately curled into the fetal position, taking in gasps of air as I heard Oni cry out my name. I turned my eyes upwards in time to see the guard push her away until she stumbled and fell to the hay covered ground. He turned back towards me with a crazy fire in his dark eyes, and mine opened wide as I watched him unsheath a long sword from his belt and point it at me. Was no one else going to step in? The rest of the slaves had frozen in place and appeared frightened. They weren't going to help.

"You failed to comply with a royal guard! And you dared to attack one! These crimes are only punishable by death, according to the law!" He shouted furiously at me and my heart literally stopped as I heard Oni gasp and yell, "no!"

Was this guy going to really kill me just because I stood up to him? My body began to tremble and tears instantly sprang to my eyes in a silent plea to the enraged man standing over me. _'Please, not now. I have so much I need to do before I die. I have to see my parents again!'_

But, I could only stare frozen as the guard lifted the large sword, and with all his strength, swing it down towards me. No screams escaped my mouth and my chest ceased movement as I waited for the pain, the final moment of my life. There was a sudden rush of wind and a powerful surge of energy very close to me, and then something clanged loudly just inches from my head. After hearing several gasps, my eyes flew open to see what had delayed my inevitable death, and what I saw caused me to inhale sharply.

_'It's him!'_ My dark new master was suddenly standing over me with a very large sword holding back the other blade. His face was hidden from this angle on the ground, but he must've looked something fierce from the apparent shock and terror on the guard's leathery one.

In one effortless moved, he forced the guard's sword to spin wildly out of his hands to make a high arc in the air until colliding with the stone wall. The man took a shaky step backwards and put his hands up in surrender. "M-master... I-I was only doing m-my duty, sir."

"You no longer have any duties." Sasuke's cold drone words seemed to hit the man like a ton of bricks, and he began to tremble uncontrollably. I watched, half in awe as I anxiously wondered what he had meant by those words.

I got my answer when, in a split-second, Sasuke was in front of the guard and had plunged his sword completely through the man's torso. Blood immediately poured out. My hand flew to my mouth to silence a scream. Sasuke pulled back the bloody sword and watched as the guard choked on his own blood and fell limp to the side.

Words could never describe how I felt in that moment. _'D-did he just...'_ Why couldn't I tear my eyes away from them!

Sasuke turned around and immediately the crowd of slaves dispersed and practically disappeared. Although hesitating, I saw Oni retreat from the courtyard out of the corner of my eye, throwing me worried glances the whole way.

"Get up." My limbs felt like jello as I tried to comply with his order, eyes still glued to the now dead guard. Once I managed it, Sasuke sauntered past me, indicating me to follow, and I did... ever so slowly.

We silently entered the compound through the same doors I had come out earlier. He led me down a flight of steps and down a number of hallways that I didn't care to memorize until we reached a pair of plain double doors which he opened. My head had become cloudy about two hallways back and now that we were stopped, I felt everything full force. I couldn't take it anymore. I happened to see a wooden bucket sitting against the far walll and I raced towards it. Practically collapsing on top of it, I threw up.

After emptying the miniscule contents of my stomach, I sat back shaking and slowly wiped my mouth with the back of my sleeve. Although my eyes were fixed on the bucket, all I could see was the body of the guard. Did he pay too high a price for what he nearly did?

Perhaps it wasn't the fact that he was dead, but how he died, that really stuck with me. That guy, Sasuke, didn't seem to hesitate or flinch at all. His actions went without hardly any emotion.

Something nudged me as my mind replayed the incident, and I looked up to notice a strange looking guy with what appeared to be a scabbard of a sword pressed against my right shoulder. I never heard Sasuke leave.

"I said, I hope you don't expect me to clean that up." The man pointed to the bucket.

When I failed to reply, he rolled his eyes and threw the scabbard onto a stone table and it clanged loudly against others. If it wasn't for his stark white hair contrasting with boyish features, I probably wouldn't have stared.

"Like what you see?"

I blinked, momentarily forgetting what happened just minutes ago, and answered, "is that really your natural color?"

He grinned even wider, revealing an unnatural row of razor sharp teeth, and I leaned away. "Well, is that yours? Not too many natural pink-headed girls running around here."

"Yes." My shaky legs pushed themselves off of the stone floor until they were facing the strange man, who turned out to be just a few inches taller than me.

"Then mine is too." He gave a small shrug and turned towards the table in a gesture to end the conversation. My eyes continued to study him, to watch every movement for any sign that he was a threat, a danger to me. Since my oh-so-charming master decided to leave me here with a stranger, I concluded he had to be relatively safe, unless this was perhaps my punishment. At any moment, I half expected the walls to lift to reveal a medieval dungeon complete with an array of cruel metal and wooden contraptions I've only seen in history books. This man would probably howl some evil laughter while conjuring up some crazy torture device.

_'Okay, stop. You're letting your thoughts get the better of you.'_ We didn't speak for several moments and the air turned quickly into an awkward atmosphere so much so that I started playing with my hair like a dumb school girl. Ah hell, I may be a prisoner, but that didn't give me permission to throw manners out the door, I was brought up better than this. At least I can introduce myself.

"Well um... I'm Sakura. Sakura Haruno." That's as far as I go with pleasantries in this place. Without facing me he speaks, "Cherry blossom. Of course. It's Suigetsu." Did he just scoff at the meaning of my name?

"But you can call me handsome if you like. Charming, intelligent, smooth- take your pick." He finally turned his head to wink suggestively at me with oddly beautiful purple eyes. Were those natural too? Where in the world do you find people like this?

"I think i'll stick to Suigetsu, thank you." I retorted, crossing my arms. "And please tell me what exactly i'm suppose to do here."

I took a deep breath to relax in feeling my nerves creep to the edge with his immature comment. Banter is one thing, I can do that fairly well, but I will most certainly not tolerate being treated or made to feel like a piece of meat. Yukio use to wink like that too.

The man named, Suigetsu- with a smirk still painted on his face, quickly tossed a small towel into the air for me to catch, and then pointed to a large stone tub to his left.

"You're on weapon cleaning duty. Sasuke-sama said you should clean his sword as you were the one who soiled it."

My hand swung up to point hard at my chest. "_I_ soiled it?"

Suigetsu nodded and appeared very amused. "He sees this as teaching you a lesson. Slaves need to be taught the proper etiquette on how to serve their masters in every way, around anyone. Washing down the blood of the man _he_ had to slay in order to keep you in line, seems to be a good punishment."

"Are you serious!" Now my hands were at my side, balled into fists, perfectly prepared to punch a certain dark master into the next dimension. The event in the courtyard had momentarily been pushed to the side, but not the emotions that came from it.

Suigetsu now leaned himself up against the table, one arm across his mid-section while the other hand was currently being nonchalantly studied under those deep purple orbs. "Oh yes, he's serious, pinky. Sasuke-sama isn't much the humor type."

"_Pinky_?" And I definitely won't let anyone call me _that_. I marched straight up to him and hurled the towel at him, to which he caught easily just millimeters from his face.

"Listen here, _sharkboy_," -seeing as how he resembled a shark, it wasn't difficult thinking up a horrid nickname for him, and I was rather pleased with it- "don't ever call me by that name again, my name is Sakura, so use it! Also, what gives you the right to talk down to me? Just because you've all branded me a slave, doesn't mean I'm going to act like one nor put up with being treated unfairly!"

Whoa... since when did I become so bold?

I was seething, but hoped he had gotten the message. Yet, as the seconds passed in tense silence, his face had contorted into a mixture of pure anger and oddly enough, a half-crazed smile. It was beginning to frighten me and I took several steps back until my back hit the wall, all while keeping my eyes locked onto his face.

My heart beat wildly in my ears as the fear pumped my blood faster and harder throughout my body. I was ready to run.

Then his throat began to make a small noise, almost like a chuckle. He raised one hand as if to examine it, and upon watching it shake, an eerie laugh finally escaped his mouth. The laugh, sounding as evil as any villain from those old movies, rang through the armory room. This guy had to be crazy.

I watched, panicked, as he picked up a long double-edged sword and proceeded to stick out his tongue and lick the length of it.

"You know what I love to do the most?"

I could barely shake my head. That crazed look in his eyes hadn't wavered, and I wasn't sure if it was the same person who had flirted with me just moments ago.

"I love cutting things. Splitting things apart. Making one into two. And right now, i'd love to make two of you."

'H-he can't be serious!' Still holding the blade dangerously close to his face, he began to slowly close the gap between us.

"They say I have an art for murder. They say i've killed so many men, their blood could paint the skies twice over. They say i'm a monster. Now i'm curious." He stopped merely inches away, slammed a free hand on the spot on the wall near by head smirking wickedly. "What do _you_ say?"

This guy was going to murder me with an outdated weapon unless by some miracle, Sasuke suddenly appeared. But I doubted that he would intervene on my behalf for a second time.

"Knock it off, Suigetsu. I think you've scared the girl enough."

Suigetsu whipped his head around at the new voice, hands remaining in place. Mine followed his until they settled on a figure leaning nonchalantly in the doorway, with hands in his pockets and donning a calm expression. Once again I was inclined to stare. However, his gray shirt and black baggy pants weren't the reason, but the color of his hair was a fiery orange and spiked out in all directions, and the eyes were a matching set. Somehow, this one didn't seem dangerous.

"But we're having fun!" Suigetsu argued throwing the figure a grin.

"Sasuke-sama would disapprove."

"Oh come now, Juugo, I was only having a bit of fun." Suigetsu's demeanor lightened considerably and instantly. He took a step back and half turned to the man named Juugo, and thankfully moved the sword to rest against his shoulder. "Besides, she was being too serious."

Juugo pushed against the door lazily and fully entered the small room. Neither of them wore the gray slave robes like I did, nor did they don the odd metal suit the guard had worn, but they did refer to Sasuke as a higher individual. A hand flew to my head as the sudden thought of the guard sent my stomach into another summersault. Juugo studied me but made no attempt to move closer.

"I have to apologize for Suigetsu here. He tends to go a little overboard with welcoming new... people. I am Juugo, by the way." The corner of his mouth twitched slightly in what could be an attempt* to smile. Although the softness of his voice helped to calm my nerves, I was still very frustrated.

"I'm Sakura and I appreciate your kindness, Juugo." I couldn't smile, but I didn't want to offend him so I shifted my eyes to glare at shark boy. "You call that a _'welcome'_? You scared me to death you jerk!"

Suigetsu looked at me amusedly. "You're a bit of a feisty one, aren't you? Don't worry pinky, it was all good fun and besides, Sasuke-sama wouldn't have let me near you if I flipped out so easily. That's his job." He pointed back towards Juugo.

I closed my eyes and sighed with exhaustion. Even though a little over an hour had passed since I awoke, the events of the day plus the previous ones tugged on my sanity and I had no desire to fight anymore today. With another sigh I allowed my body to slide down the wall until I felt the floor. I could feel two sets of eyes on me but my head remained down.

"Are you alright, Sakura-chan? Do you need something to drink?" I shook my head at Juugo's question.

"I appreciate it, Juugo, really but... I really don't want to be welcomed. I just want to go home." I bit my lip to hold back the tears when I heard my voice crack. I drew my knees to my chest.

There was a quick clang that I assumed was Suigetsu tossing the sword back onto the table. "Hate to tell ya pinky, but you _are_ home. We all live here, as one big happy family. Right Juugo?"

Apparently he didn't answer.

"Come on hurry and get up so we can get this cleaning over with." I raised my head to see Suigetsu motioning me to join him by the sink. "I'm so hungry ol' Juugo over there is starting to look tasty." He winked at him.

I suppose if this were a different setting, say perhaps school, and we were all friends, I would be laughing. Suigetsu had scared the crap out of me just a few minutes ago, and now he was back to joking around- which I hope was the norm. Apart of me wondered what the outcome would've been if Juugo hadn't of showed up so suddenly.

Speaking of which, said person was no longer standing in the room, in fact he had practically disappeared without a sound. I bit my inner cheek as my legs slowly lifted me from the cold ground. _'I'll have to find him later and thank him for... I guess intervening.'_ And why not? Besides Oni, he's the only one who has showed any form of civility in this forsaken place, and at this point, I need all the friends I can get.

I reluctantly joined the white-haired man by the sink, swiping the cloth I had thrown at him earlier from the table. "How long do we have to do this?"

Suigetsu smiled and handed me Sasuke's sword. "Until you see that pretty little reflection of yours in the blade." I rolled my eyes and sat down to scrub the dried blood and dirt, wielding my brain to not think about why it was there in the first place.

"After you're through, I'm suppose to tell you to head to the kitchens to retrieve Sasuke-sama's afternoon meal. He trains vigorously all day, so he has several small ones throughout the day to keep his stamina up." He plopped down onto the wooden stool next to me holding a small rusty dagger-like weapon.

_'What? He actually trusts me with his food?'_ My mind explored various options on how to passively get some revenge and express my utter dislike for him and my new life. I would have to find some poison- the kind that just makes him really sick, not deadly- and I could add a few ingredients of my own... dirt, saliva, bugs etc. _'Sakura, stop. That's such petty stuff.'_

After scolding myself, a question came to me. "Why does he train all day? What kind of training, exactly?"

"You're so interested all of a sudden." He smirked. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

I stopped scrubbing and sent him a glare. "I never want to talk to that jerk again." To my surprise and to my displeasure, Suigetsu busted out in laughter. I hated to be laughed at.

"I like you already, pinky. You have some fire! But I can guarantee you, no one has ever called Sasuke-sama a jerk to his face and lived to brag about it."

His words made me frown in thought because he had a good point. Going around calling him names out loud would be seriously pushing my luck, and I needed all I could get if I'm ever going to get out of here.

"There's something I don't really understand." Suigetsu glanced up but didn't answer. "Why... why did he save me from that guard? According to all of you, I'm just a lowly slave, completely replaceable."

I studied the contemplative look on his face. "Sasuke-sama may be a killer..." He started to say slowly. "But... he doesn't like to do it if it's unnecessary."

"But the guard said I had broken some law that I wasn't even aware of. He said it was punishable by death, and I assumed it was a common thing from the reactions of the people around us. They didn't even attempt to stop it." I had stopped scrubbing at this point and unknowingly leaned towards him.

"Hmm. You _did_ break a law, two in fact, and they _are_ punishable by death. And yet, you're alive, all because of Sasuke-sama." He then looked back at me with an odd expression, like he was trying to figure something out. After a quick moment he opened his mouth to finish his previous thought, "If there's one thing I know about Sasuke-sama, it's that he never does anything without a solid reason. I don't believe he saved you on good graces alone, no, so there must be a reason why he wants you alive."

I looked down, contemplating his words. They were vague, but it certainly raised new questions. If he had wanted me for pleasurable reasons, he would've taken me by now, but so far he's only touched me once, and has spoken not but a few words. What else could he possibly want? I have no essential talents for him to exploit, I have no money, no power, nothing. I decided not to question Suigetsu any further, because I had an idea he wouldn't reveal anything more to me. He probably knew as much as I did anyway.

A few minutes of silence went by as I tried to map out my next moves, and before I knew it, the sword was glistening.

"All done there, pinky?"

"I think so. Am I free to go now?" I impatiently handed over the sword for him to inspect. He nodded in approval a moment later and stood up to put it away.

"You're all through here." Suigetsu winked and smiled wide when he saw my eyes roll up. I practically pounced for the door, eager to get out of the stuffy room to map out the rest of the compound. But before I stepped into the hallway, I turned my head back and said, "oh and as long as you continue to call me '_pinky,'_ i'm going to continue to refer to you as '_shark boy.'_ Got it?"

His smile turned into a wide smirk and his eyes sparkled with playfulness. "Got it, pinky."

**Alright finally! So next we'll see if Sakura actually makes it to the kitchen, and we'll see how she deals with more 'slave' duties put on by the oh so charming Sasuke. ) **


	7. Chapter 7: Of Spice and Earth

**...and 6 months later... yeah no excuses. But I am sorry, I promise. Hope everyone is doing well, especially going through these holidays. Happy New Year! Okay, here you go.**

****Summary so far: After being told her 8-month relationship with her HS boyfriend was all a gimmick, and that her parents were filing for divorce, a distraught Sakura runs away on her school field trip. She enters a forrest said to be cursed, finds a hidden lake, and is then captured by odd looking men who take her to a run down castle-turned-compound where a sinister 'Master' is to make her his slave for life. Everything is wrong about him, from his red eyes to his inhuman speed but yet she feels a slight attraction to him while he begins to make her life miserable.

**Chapter 7: Of Spice and Earth**

Sakura stepped uncertainly into another dimly lit passageway that appeared identical to the previous ones. It had already been ten minutes, and from the look of it, she was no closer to getting back to her room. She finally stopped in frustration at the people who seemed to not have a grasp of the usefulness of a sign, or in the very least a map.

_'Note to self: _never _assume you're going in the right direction when you're in uncharted territory.'_

"Maybe I should go back and ask Suigetsu how to get there."

She spun on her heel and headed back, fairly confident she remembered the way this time. Sure enough, within just a few minutes, a familiar door slid into view. Without knocking, she twisted the handle and walked in. "Hey shark boy, how do you-"

The room was empty. Her eyebrows scrunched together, wondering where the strange guy went. "Great." She sighed and leaned against the door post. "Back to square one."

While silently forming a new plan of action, her emerald eyes absently roved over the room. Strange weapons hung against the walls in groups according to size and type, and a pile of old training equipment was pushed into one corner. Then an idea occurred to her.

Here was a newly inducted slave set on escaping by any means, and here you had an entire room of weapons ready for the taking. Sakura looked back into the hallway for any one roaming around. It was empty as well.

_'Either this is a setup or my master isn't as sharp as he thinks.'_

Nevertheless, her hand hesitated above a charcoal colored dagger. Then an image of the dead guard flashed across her eyes to only strengthen her resolve. _ 'Just take it!'_

Before she could comprehend what she had done, the dagger was already tucked inside her kimono being held in place by the tightly wrapped rope tie. _'No one should notice it's missing. There's hundreds of them.' _

A sudden pain in her chest made her gasp. She clutched at the fabric right above the area. It really wasn't that painful, just a point of pressure, just uncomfortable and rather startling. The sensation pulled again. Sakura then understood what was happening; understood Kabuto's words earlier. Sasuke- the _Master_- was summoning her.

_'How would he know!'_

Well, he wasn't actually summoning her to him, but urging her to get to the kitchens quickly. For some reason her mind was able to translate this.

"That's right, it's lunch time." After doing one last personal check to make sure the dagger was well hidden, she exited the room, shut the door softly and allowed the sensation in her chest to guide her. The thought of food made her queasy, although her last meal had been two days previous. Too much had happened in a short amount of time. She was exhausted.

It didn't take long to find the place, especially when the halls began giving off a mouth-watering aroma. Sakura headed down a small flight of stairs before turning left into an opened entryway into a busy kitchen.

High ceilings were the first thing she noticed. Two sets of four side-by-side stoves occupied the wall to her right and were currently being used by no more than twelve people skillfully maneuvering around each other. To her left was a large built-in pantry with a narrow door that probably led to some kind of wine cellar, and it too was currently being overrun by a horde of women grasping at various ingredients to prepare whatever was on the menu. In the middle of the floor stood two large rectangular wooden tables piled high with dozens of pots and pans, utensils, bowls, plates, and lots of food. Small wooden cages lined the back wall with several of them carrying live chickens, and Sakura lightly wondered if any of them witnessed her near escape earlier.

"What do we have here?!"

Sakura twisted to the right, startled by a loud high-pitched voice. It was a young woman, perhaps no more than 25, with long frazzled brown hair and a thin build. She had her hands set on her hips and her pale lips pressed into a thin line as she studied the new girl.

"You're Master-sama's new pet huh? He must have _really_ taken pity on you."

"Excuse me?" Sakura expected insults from the higher ups, but not from those sharing the burden of servitude. Also, who refers to Sasuke as master-sama? Overkill much?

After scrutinizing every inch of Sakura, the woman straightened up to give her a most pretentious look. "I am Misha, your superior. While you are here and handling the Master-sama's meals, I will be instructing you on the proper ways of presenting the food, and the timeliness of transporting it."

A thin pink eyebrow rose in response to this. This woman took her job a little too seriously, and was rude to boot.

"Master-sama likes consistency and precision," she continued matter-of-factly, "and anyone who refuses to follow the rules will suffer serious consequences!"

By now, they had the attention of almost half of the nearest kitchen staff. A few girls with dirtied aprons and arms full of produce stopped to whisper amongst themselves and began to giggle and point at them. Misha turned to them with an awful glare. "What are you all laughing at, you filthy tramps!"

Her outburst drew more laughter until one of them replied, "Hey Misha, looks like you're not the favorite anymore!"

"Yeah!" Another chimed in. "You must've gotten so ugly, they had to replace you because the Master kept getting sick from looking at your face!"

A few others joined the group to be apart of the ridiculing. Sakura noticed Misha's hands balled into fists at her side as the anger in her face turned a deep red.

"Shut it you hags! I am _not _being replaced! Don't you have something better to do?!" Misha looked ready to pounce, leaving Sakura to wonder if she would have to step in or if she'd do nothing. Luckily, Misha made no advancements so her fellow kitchen maids slowly dispersed, still snickering amongst themselves. Sakura didn't miss the glances they threw her way in a mixture of curiosity and dislike.

"You!"

Sakura flinched as Misha suddenly rounded on her, more than furious. Misha grasped her upper arm and began dragging her to the nearest table where a wooden tray filled with empty plates stood in a neat pattern.

"Don't think just because you're untouchable," Misha pointed hard at her, "that you're something special, because you're not. Everyone knows why he _really _picked you for himself." She spat, and before a counter response was made, she had turned to fill the plates. Sakura, a little more than pissed at the insinuation, crossed her arms in defense.

"And what's that suppose to mean?" She had had enough of this unprovoked animosity radiating off the brown haired girl. The issues she has had to deal with in merely a day were incomparable. Another problem like Misha didn't sit well with the waning patience and sanity of the freshly captured girl.

Misha smirked. "You looked the easiest."

_'Sakura, don't lower yourself to her level. Don't be petty, you're better than this.' _ Her inner voice cut in when alerted by the rise in adrenaline and her muscles tensed for a fight. Her voice slightly shook while replying, "The easiest wha-!" A loud ding coming from an alarm cut her off. Misha rushed to pull a small pot of steamy liquid off the burner, then poured its contents into a small wooden bowl. She moved fast, grabbing and putting away various objects, clanging dishes around, moving swiftly around the other workers as if she'd been doing this for years. Sakura, arms still folded, watched her and waited to be given instructions despite yearning to kick her in the face.

Misha came back appearing more disheveled carrying a bunch of things in her arms. They flailed around the table, putting certain foods onto the tray, gingerly fingering them into position. "It's too late to explain all of this to you now. Master-sama's food should've been out 30 seconds ago!" She frantically stated.

Thinking 30 seconds was no big deal, Sakura rolled her eyes but kept her mouth shut. A moment later the wooden tray was being thrust into her hands, Misha was spewing a million instructions, and she was practically being pushed out.

"Go go go go!" Misha gestured frantically towards the stairs. "Don't you dare drop that tray!"

Misha's rude demand had Sakura biting down hard on her tongue, preventing any regrettable words from escaping her lips. But if looks could kill.

"She thinks I look easy? Yeah, because _'Master-sama'_ doesn't sound desperate." Sakura huffed once she was out of earshot. That girl reminded her of her snobby classmates back home. Just thinking about them shifted her mind to Yukio and her hands unknowingly clenched the tray.

"Don't, Sakura. Just... don't." She shook her head to get rid of the memories, but tears had already formed, and it took all her will to keep them from falling. Instead, she focused on the food laid so neatly on the tray. There were only two items: onigiri and sliced tomatoes. It smelled delicious, however, the scent did not penetrate enough to make her hungry.

Guided by the pulling sensation, the halls slipped beneath her feet up, left, right, right, left. The last left she took brought her to a door she's only seen once before. A flash of red flooded her eyes for a brief instant and she paused. _'That was only yesterday...' _ she thought. Adrenaline spiked. _'What if he...' _

Of course he had no reason to attack this time. The bonding jutsu only needed to be performed once, she knew, but it didn't quell the rising fear. She tried to think of what she was suppose to do next, silently cursing herself for not paying closer attention to Misha's hastened instructions. If memory served her correct, she needed to knock twice. Balancing the tray on one hand, she raised the other but never got a chance to knock when the door flew open and she was face to face with her charming Master.

"You're late."

Sakura noticed her hand was still poised in the air to knock, and retreated it immediately to balance the tray. Sasuke studied her mixed expressions of fear, uncertainty, and irritation for a moment, slightly annoyed that anyone would allow that much to show. _Such weakness. _ He turned in the room, leaving the door open for her to follow.

When his onyx eyes left her own, Sakura realized they had put her in a sort of trance. She mentally slapped herself. Of course she was attracted to him, but she wasn't about to let him know that. Hesitantly stepping inside the dark room, she had to bite on her already sore tongue to keep from throwing a sarcastic comment to his previous 'you're late' statement.

In the middle of the room stood a small plain table kept by a lone chair where common sense told the girl to place the tray. Fighting the will to slam it down, she presented his food. "Is that all?"

For being royally pissed, it was surprising that no expletives slipped into her question. Sasuke gave no answer or any indication that he would, but his eyes were intense on her as if he were expecting something.

"Well," she started, "if that's it then I'm just going to go now." The instant her body twisted to face the door, his immediately phased in front of it. Sakura took an automatic step back, heart racing. _'How does he keep doing that!' _

He held out his hand and she stared at it quizzically. "Give it to me." His low command sent chills down her spine.

"G-give what to you?" Her eyes were snatched up in his again as she stuttered a response.

"Give it to me, Sakura." She didn't fail to notice how her name seemed to slip so easily off of his tongue. "Now." He finished.

One hand absently went to the hidden dagger tied inside her kimono. She'd be a fool to believe he would miss that slight gesture, and she knew she had been found out. Now in defense mode with her jaw set and eyes refusing to break contact, refusing to look weak, she retrieved the small weapon. Instead of waiting for her to drop it into his hand, Sasuke grasped her wrist and pulled her into his chest while still holding her arm up. His sudden movement made her drop the weapon but didn't register the sound of it clattering to the floor when all five senses were quickly invaded. His earthy spicy scent nearly had her in a daze and she could have easily mistaken his upper body for a cement wall. Out of surprise and embarrassment, she averted her eyes and tried to quell her beating heart, certain it could be heard by all.

She felt his face near her ear and shivered.

"Don't ever try to deceive me again."

He released her hand as if disgusted, then side-stepped her and moved to the table. Only then did Sakura have any sense to breathe. With limbs still acting numb, she couldn't turn to face him, even when he began to speak again.

"Return it. Then clean every piece of weaponry until I call for you."

Emerald eyes widened, snapping out the daze. However, instead of verbalizing objections, she slowly picked up the dagger and stiffly retreated from the cold room. While half-heartedly stomping down the corridors towards the weapons room, she placed a hand against one cheek that felt warmer than usual.

_'Dammit!' _ He had actually made her blush. Blush! Of all the people to give her such a reaction, it had to be a cold, handsome but mysterious bastard who thinks himself higher than everyone else. No one was allowed to do that anymore.

And after all he had done to her, why was she feeling so self conscious around him? Not that she cared to draw back any in the sarcasm and rebuttal departments, but somehow, standing so close to Sasuke, her thoughts turned to vanity- wondering if that medieval bath house cleaned as good as the showers of the 21st century. Because the welcoming party decided she needed to be drugged through bath time, she could hardly remember if they even used soap.

The moment Sakura reached the room, she'd decided on going down there tonight. _'Whenever he's done with me.'_

And so for the next few hours, the little slave girl went about her duties in a fashion all her own. She familiarized herself with the various types of weaponry, giving them temporary names and placing them in categories from sharpest to dullest, from biggest to littlest, and least harmful to most deadly. Why should she give the master the satisfaction of knowing this task made her miserable? _'Do the unexpected.'_

She was the only one who could decide how to be miserable or not!

It felt like forever since she came in. When no one, like Suigestu or Juugo, came to visit, she suspected Sasuke forbade them in order to further punish her. And it was working so far. The pink haired girl stood to analyze her work. Every single blade was polished and put in their respective places. Even the table and sink were wiped down.

"So, what now?" She sighed and sat back down, placing a hand under her chin. _ 'How _did_ Sasuke know I was keeping a daggar?' _Were there secret cameras everywhere capturing her every move? Her eyes scanned the plain room. Nope. Nothing. Did those creepy vampire eyes have something to do with it- like give him crazy psychic powers or something? No... probably not. She placed a hand over her chest. Maybe the bond. Perhaps there is more to it than Kabuto had explained.

_'Should I go ask him?' _ As much as his presence unsettled her, he seemed to be the only person willing to discuss the bond. Now, where to find him.

The hallway was empty when she stepped out. Slaves probably weren't permitted in this area because when you have your freedom ripped away so suddenly, it tends to make one desperate enough to steal any weapon laying around. The master must have labeled her a weak little girl incapable of handling any kind of weapon, and only sent her to clean them to torture her. It was utterly cruel.

While mindlessly walking, Sakura passed by a window and did a double take. "What! It's dark already?" She ran over to it and peered into the deep navy blue sky dotted with white lights. The sun had set a while ago but it was not yet pitch black and she could still make out the trees and the mountain range. _'I must've been in there longer than I thought. I wonder what time it is.' _

Her body suddenly jumped away from the window as if it were on fire, and a hand flew to her chest. With her blood pressure sky-high now, she realized it was just the bond acting up again. It hurt this time. Kind of like an electric shock. And in the depths of the bond she felt a foreign anger... or more like frustration. Sasuke wanted her back in the kitchens.

"Ugh, I don't care if you eat or not!" She hissed between her teeth, cursing her feet for obeying orders. Minutes later, an annoyed Sakura entered what she now deemed _'the witch's lair,'_ aka the kitchen. And sure enough, the head witch began to shriek in her ear.

"Finally decided to arrive on time?" Misha mocked. "We wouldn't want Master-sama's food to be late again."

Sakura inwardly wished the boiling pot of water Misha was holding would suddenly drop on her feet and burn them. _ 'Sakura.'_ Her inner voice warned. _'Oh shut it, she totally deserves it.' _

Misha ignored her murderous glare and set the pot down, ready to strain whatever contents it held. "Well don't just stand there like an idiot! Come and help me!"

"Help yourself, because that's kinda the last thing I want to do." Sakura smirked watching the how-dare-you-talk-back-to-me look on Misha's face. The Sasuke fan girl was about to retort when someone oooh'd dramatically and several voices chimed in to snicker at her. For a moment, Sakura felt like jumping to their side and joining in but her parent's humble teachings prevented that.

"Look out everyone, someone talked back to Misha!" One of the girls from the day's earlier encounter sang.

"Oh your highness, don't get upset! Being ugly is not a crime punishable by death." Another girl added in a mock accent.

"But it's still a crime!" The first girl laughed out loud until the rest of them joined, which in all was four girls.

Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes at their generic insults, but to be honest, watching the exchange was a bit enjoyable. Misha, completely red in the face, opened her mouth but was cut off again by an older woman dressed in a simple brown dress covered by a dirtied apron. There would be no fight this time as well.

"Get back to work, all of you!" She waved a rag towards them threateningly, and they reluctantly obeyed. Once they quickly dispersed, Sakura glanced over to Misha and swore she heard her sigh in relief. Then, oddly enough, the girl remained silent while returning to prepare the rest of the Master's evening meal, never bothering to go through the steps with Sakura. Which didn't affect her all that much, but now it felt a little awkward between them, and she wished Oni had been assigned to the kitchens instead.

"Here, get going." Misha was shoving a tray full of food into Sakura's hands. Thankful it only took a few minutes and itching to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere, the pink-headed slave nearly bounded out of the kitchen. _'I'm never going back in there. He can't make me.'_ She stubbornly thought.

Sasuke's door slid into view a minute later. She knocked twice, scolding herself for it sounding too timid. Biting her lip in agitation, Sakura shifted the tray a little as thoughts of the morning's events played again. _'Well I've got nothing on me this time.' _ Their encounters so far have been nothing less than horrifying.

The door opened, revealing the room and it's sole occupant. He said nothing as she stepped in and unloaded the food, muscles stiffened for a fight if he suddenly decided to give her trouble again. Not that she would attack him, but this time she was better prepared for his quick reflexes.

They hadn't spoken a word. _ 'Don't look at him, don't look at him.'_ Sakura, feeling his eyes on her, took a steadying breath and slowly turned to head back out. Nonetheless, her eyes wondered upwards over his half-covered chest to his charcoal eyes, then back to his chest again, noticing the shirt had a few large tears in it.

Before she could stop herself, Sakura spoke, sounding genuinely curious, "What happened?"

Sasuke expressed his enthusiasm over that intrusive question with a lack of facial movement. Apparently words escaped him as well. Sakura noticed, but felt a need to determine the cause of this seemingly brutal wardrobe malfunction, when he looked practically perfect before. Oblivious to her feet moving closer to the still body, she asked again, "how did that happen?"

Again, no answer, but the air was becoming tight. "Did you get in a fight? Are you hurt?" _'Idiot, does he look hurt to you?'_

It seemed ludicrous to suddenly act as if she cared about his well-being, but seeing someone hurt- even if that someone has enslaved you for eternity- kicked her into 'saving' mode. Summer internships at the hospitals to someday become a doctor, instilled this instinct in her.

When she finally looked into his eyes for an answer, they stared back hard and uncaring. He didn't need to be bothered by this petty girl any longer than necessary. The only words he spoke before nearly slamming the door was, "go to bed."

Sakura glared at the shut door, arms crossed. _ 'Go to bed? What are you, my parent now? Jerk.'_ Her chest ached as it took the Master's command literally, and she begrudgingly headed to her room. _'Oh... didn't Misha say something about training? If that's what it was, why wouldn't he just say so? I've never met a guy who talked and expressed so little.' _

Finally inside, she easily found a pair of simple cotton pajamas thick enough to keep her warm, standard toiletries in the small cabinet above the sink, and a pair of socks to complete the ensemble. This was to be her first 'official' night because being drugged didn't count. Right?

Once settled and somewhat relaxed, now that the burning in her chest ceased completely, everything was quiet. Extremely quiet. And then, all at once the events of the previous two days came rushing back to crack the dead silence. Vision upon vision squished against each other in a chaotic sequence, causing the feelings associated with them to become so jumbled together, that Sakura cried. Small tears at first, until the images of the last time she saw her parents came up, and she sobbed into her pillow. She sobbed for hours, and a huge knot twisted in the pit of her stomach until she was nauseous. Another hour over the toilet, throwing up hardly anything, added to the bleak night.

Around 2am, Sakura finally fell into a restless sleep complete with never ending nightmares of swords, bodies, and red eyes. Escaping this place, especially with Sasuke around, appeared next to impossible.

**I didn't really spellcheck this chapter so I apologize for any mistakes. And if there's something I might've missed or left out, please let me know, I tend to forget what I write in previous chapters. Thank you for reading! **

**Sakura tries to get through the days but Sasuke is purposefully making them horrendous for her, but it won't undo her determination to someday get free. I think in the next 2 or 3 chapters, I will reveal how important Sakura will turn out to be for the bad guys... she's definitely more than she seems to be. **


End file.
